Judges in Maine and Wisconsin dismiss Justice Department’s attempts to force turnover of voter rolls

AP News ^ | 5/21/26 | Patrick Whittle, Scott Bauer

[Libloather]

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Federal judges in Maine and Wisconsin on Thursday dismissed lawsuits filed by the U.S. Department of Justice seeking to compel the states to hand over detailed voter registration information.

U.S. District Judge James Pederson in Wisconsin said the state’s voter registration list is not a record that can be requested under the Civil Rights Act of 1960, as President Donald Trump’s administration argued. In Maine, Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker described the government’s claim as “half-hearted” and granted a state motion to dismiss it.

The rulings were the latest in a string of defeats for the Trump administration in its attempts to force states to turn over voter rolls. In addition to Maine and Wisconsin, judges have rejected similar attempts in Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon and Rhode Island, In Georgia, a judge dismissed a DOJ lawsuit because it had been filed in the wrong city, prompting the government to refile elsewhere.

The DOJ has sued at least 30 states and the District of Columbia seeking to force release of the detailed voter data. It includes information such as dates of birth, addresses, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.

Bianca Shaw, state director of Common Cause Wisconsin, called the ruling “a massive victory for voter privacy and a rejection of federal overreach.”

“The decision ensures voters are protected from an unauthorized national database that would have been a goldmine for hackers and a tool for intimidation,” she said in a statement. “Our elections remain safe, secure, and in the hands of Wisconsinites where they belong,”

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat and Trump opponent who is running for governor, said the ruling affirms that states and not the federal government are in charge of elections and voting.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Conspiracy; History; Local News
KEYWORDS: justice; maine; voters; wisconsin

[Libloather]

The fraud must be massive. Reminds me of Cankles.

[Pete Dovgan]

“The decision ensures voters are protected from an unauthorized national database that would have been a goldmine for hackers and a tool for intimidation,”

Naw, the hackers already got that from other places. It’s fraud they are protecting.

[philman_36]

What are the betting odds for this going all the way to the
Supreme Court for a ruling to force them to turn them over?

[ComputerGuy]

It’s a tough call to make, but I have to side with the states on this issue.

[Liz]

Patriots, Call Congress
US Capitol switchboard
(202) 224-3121.

Call the White House
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
TTY/TTD Comments: 202-456-6213

Send a letter to the White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500

Message: Maine and Wisconsin judges have rejected similar attempts in Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon and Rhode Island, to obtain voter date to document voter fraud.

The DOJ has sued at least 30 states and the District of Columbia seeking to obtain voter data.
Voter fraud must be unmasked to give voters confidence in our sacrosanct election system.

[quantim]

Wouldn’t be surprised if this ruling went all the way to the SCOTUS. If state and local elections belong to the state per the Constitution as present so be it. Yet if federal elections (President, Congress etc.) have illegal foreigners voting in them these would be uncharted waters that will need to be settled.

It doesn’t seem proper that in one state that millions of illegals voting might put in a commie at the federal level (like Omar) while other states enforce legal citizens only.

There has to a legal precedent set for federal elections.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

I wonder if these are efforts are “halfhearted” because “career DoJ” is doing the work…

[HockeyPop]

Indeed a tough call especially without a level/standard of proof to satisfy the compelling government interest standard…witnesses, documents, course of conduct etc. The Biden FBI and DOJ actively removed this evidence and purposely thwarted any such attempts to build the cases.

[Donbue]

How convenient, maybe I’ll simply dismiss the laws I don’t agree with too.

[cyclotic]

OK, all Federal money, every penny is cut off from those states until they comply, beginning Monday.