Judges in Maine and Wisconsin dismiss Justice Department's attempts to force turnover of voter rolls
Federal judges in Maine and Wisconsin have dismissed lawsuits from the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at obtaining voter registration information from the states. The judges ruled that the states are not required to comply with the requests under the Civil Rights Act of 1960. These rulings reflect a broader trend of courts rejecting similar attempts by the Trump administration across multiple states.
- ▪U.S. District Judge James Pederson in Wisconsin ruled that the state's voter registration list is not subject to federal requests under the Civil Rights Act.
- ▪Maine Chief U.S. District Judge Lance Walker described the DOJ's claims as 'half-hearted' and dismissed the case.
- ▪The DOJ has filed lawsuits in at least 30 states seeking detailed voter data, which includes sensitive personal information.
2 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 3 hours. All of the coverage we found sits in one bucket: lean left. That one-sidedness is itself worth noticing.
- ▪ 7th and 8th judges rebuff Justice Dept.'s attempts to get voter rolls from states — CBS News — Politics
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| Canonical URL | https://abcnews.com/US/wireStory/judges-maine-wisconsin-dismiss-justice-departments-attempts-force-133203195 |
| Publication time | Thu, 21 May 2026 17:47:24 -0400 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-21T21:56:35.716Z |
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ABC NewsLiveVideoShowsGood Morning AmericaShopGMAInterest Successfully AddedWe'll notify you here with news aboutTurn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? OffOnStream onJudges in Maine and Wisconsin dismiss Justice Department's attempts to force turnover of voter rollsFederal judges in Maine and Wisconsin have dismissed lawsuits filed by the U.S. Department of Justice seeking to compel the states to hand over voter registration information to the federal governmentByPATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press and SCOTT BAUER Associated PressMay 21, 2026, 5:15 PM0:56FILE - Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows speaks with reporters during the National Associate of Secretaries of State Conference in Washington, Jan. 30, 2026.
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