The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division filed federal lawsuits against six states — California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania — for failure to produce their statewide voter registration lists upon request.

The lawsuits target the respective secretaries of state who enact federal laws onto state voter rolls, said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“States are required to safeguard American elections by complying with our federal elections laws,” said Dhillon. “Clean voter rolls protect American citizens from voting fraud and abuse, and restore their confidence that their states’ elections are conducted properly, with integrity, and in compliance with the law.”

According to the lawsuits, the Attorney General is uniquely charged by Congress with the enforcement of the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act, which were designed by Congress to ensure that states have proper and effective voter registration and voter list maintenance programs.

“Clean voter rolls are the foundation of free and fair elections,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “Every state has a responsibility to ensure that voter registration records are accurate, accessible, and secure — states that don’t fulfill that obligation will see this Department of Justice in court.”

The Attorney General also has the Civil Rights Act of 1960 at her disposal to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of the statewide voter registration lists.

These lawsuits were filed recently in the federal districts of the respective states.

Earlier this year, the DOJ charged a Chinese National for illegally voting in Michigan’s 2024 election.

When Trump lost the presidential election in 2020, he blamed it on voter fraud and mailed ballot dumps. These lawsuits seek to force secretaries of state to clean voter rolls before the next big election.

The six targeted states represent some of the most Democratic-leaning jurisdictions in the country, raising questions about partisan motivations.

All six states have histories of resisting federal oversight of their election processes and voter registration systems.

The refusal to provide voter registration rolls suggests these states may be hiding problematic registration data from federal scrutiny.

Clean voter rolls are essential for preventing illegal voting by non-citizens, deceased individuals, and those registered in multiple states.

The timing of these lawsuits indicates the Trump administration is prioritizing election integrity enforcement ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Attorney General Bondi’s strong language about taking states to court signals aggressive federal enforcement of election laws.

The National Voter Registration Act and Help America Vote Act provide clear federal authority to demand state compliance with voter roll maintenance.

States that refuse to comply with federal election laws undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

The previous case of a Chinese national illegally voting in Michigan demonstrates the real-world consequences of inadequate voter roll maintenance.

These lawsuits represent the most comprehensive federal effort to enforce voter roll accuracy in recent years.

The Civil Rights Act of 1960 gives the federal government broad powers to inspect and analyze state voter registration systems.

Democratic-controlled states’ resistance to federal oversight suggests they have something to hide about their voter registration practices.

The Justice Department’s action puts other non-compliant states on notice that federal election law enforcement will be vigorously pursued.

These legal actions fulfill Trump’s campaign promises to ensure election integrity and clean voter rolls nationwide.

The federal courts will now determine whether states can continue to shield their voter registration data from lawful federal inspection.