Judge Dismisses DOJ Illinois Voter Roll Suit for 19th Straight Loss
Updated
Updated · Newsweek · Aug 1
Judge Dismisses DOJ Illinois Voter Roll Suit for 19th Straight Loss
3 articles · Updated · Newsweek · Aug 1
Summary
Colleen Lawless dismissed the Justice Department's lawsuit against Illinois with prejudice, blocking the administration from refiling the same claims in district court.
A 14-page ruling said federal law does not authorize DOJ to force Illinois to hand over its complete unredacted voter registration database, rejecting arguments under both the NVRA and Help America Vote Act.
Illinois had refused the request on privacy grounds after DOJ sought data beyond records normally open to public inspection, including sensitive voter information that states say can expose cybersecurity risks.
The loss leaves the administration without a district-court win in any of its voter-roll cases and extends a nationwide streak of 19 defeats as it pushes for broader election oversight before the 2026 midterms.