West Virginia’s Secretary of State has endorsed a federal judge’s decision to dismiss the Department of Justice’s lawsuit demanding access to unredacted state voter data. The DOJ sought detailed voter information including birth dates, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers, citing provisions of the Civil Rights Act to justify their request. However, U.S. District Judge Thomas Johnston rejected the claim, stating the Justice Department did not provide adequate evidence of wrongdoing or a legitimate purpose for accessing the data.
Kris Warner emphasized that state law prohibits sharing private voter details such as phone numbers, emails, and identification numbers. He noted that although West Virginia supports federal efforts to enforce election law compliance, the DOJ’s approach overstepped legal boundaries. The judge agreed, asserting that Congress did not grant the federal government unlimited authority to demand such sensitive information. Warner also pointed to the broader national context where similar DOJ lawsuits against multiple states have stalled or been dismissed.
Judge Johnston’s ruling underscored concerns that the Justice Department’s records request amounted to a “fishing expedition” lacking a clear connection to protecting voter rights. He highlighted the absence of a specific factual basis that would justify extensive access to confidential voter data. A footnote in the ruling questioned the true intent behind the litigation but acknowledged that determining motive was beyond the court’s current scope.
In defending its stance, West Virginia argued that the voter list is an internally maintained, protected database exempt from federal disclosure under existing laws. The state also challenged the DOJ’s suggested link between the data demand and voting rights enforcement, arguing that the request distracted from its purported purpose and appeared connected instead to immigration enforcement.
This dismissal adds West Virginia to a growing list of states where courts have found the DOJ’s broad demands for voter information legally deficient. Other states facing similar setbacks include California, Oregon, Michigan, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Arizona, Maine, Wisconsin, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire. Meanwhile, local groups have sought to intervene in the West Virginia case, signaling ongoing scrutiny and debate over federal access to election records.