Judge rejects DOJ reach for Minnesota voter data

The decision marks the federal government's 23rd loss in its attempts to obtain state voter data.MINNEAPOLIS (CN) — In line with courts across the country, a federal judge in Minnesota rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to obtain unredacted statewide voter registration data Monday.In her 27-page dismissal, U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez ruled the federal government cannot demand broad access to state voting records without first claiming specific violations.“The government suggests it is permitted to use a civil action as a ‘fishing expedition,’” the Joe Biden appointee said. “But an ordinary litigant isn’t allowed to seek discovery first and allege a claim later, and the federal government has no special privilege to do so.”Under Minnesota law, eligible voters seeking to register must provide their name, home address, date of birth and either a state identification number from a driver’s license or the last four digits of their social security number.The statewide voter registration system — which the federal government sought to obtain information from last summer — is an aggregated database generated internally by the Minnesota secretary of state that Menendez noted differs from the individual documents voters submit.While Congress grants the attorney general the power to demand production of state records and papers that come into state election officials’ possession, it does not grant the power to obtain records created by those officials.“By referring to records that ‘come into election officials’ possession,’ Congress referred to only those documents that state election officials receive from prospective voters,” she said in the order. “The unredacted statewide voter registration list the government demanded from the state defendants in this case is not a record or paper that comes into Minnesota election officials’ possession.”In response to the June 2025 request, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon’s office provided data on maintenance, but refused to send the entire list, claiming the Trump administration provided no legitimate legal basis to obtain that information.The Justice Department then sued the state in September 2025, claiming the feds should have access to Minnesota’s list to ensure compliance with voting statutes — specifically the Help America Vote Act, which was passed after issues arose in the 2000 election.Congress created the act to reform national voting procedures and establish minimum standards for election administration to address outdated technology and Election Day registration issues.Menendez said the act, which requires Minnesota take steps to ensure its list is up to date, does not contain any disclosure requirement, nor has the government displayed any evidence that the state failed to adhere to the act’s requirements.“Even assuming the government can use ordinary discovery tools to obtain the information the government has demanded from the state defendants, the problem is that the complaint contains no allegation that the state defendants failed, in any way, to comply with HAVA’s list-maintenance requirements,” Menendez said.The federal government’s actions stem from President Donald Trump’s March 2025 executive order, “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections” — an order he said would help provide “free, fair and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors or suspicion.”Trump has made oversight of state voter rolls a cornerstone of his administration’s direction, arguing state data is necessary to root out noncitizen voting and voter fraud while framing the requests as an essential measure to restore public trust.In court documents in April, the government referenced a specific news report that a noncitizen was criminally charged for voting in the 2024 general election as further reasoning for why Minnesota should turn over its data — though the state noted a single finding months after the initial filing of the lawsuit hardly justifies compelling the release of statewide voter data.The Trump administration has brought similar cases against more than two dozen states, including Pennsylvania, New York, California and Michigan, and has now faced dismissal 23 times, most recently in Nevada last week.The campaign has fared no better in appellate courts, though some states have agreed to provide the requested information.On Sunday, U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche signaled the possibility of appealing the voter roll cases to the U.S. Supreme Court.The Justice Department told Courthouse News in an email it disagrees with the ruling and is assessing possible next steps.The Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office did not respond to an initial request for comment.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from 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