The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 Wednesday, stating the Trump administration lacks legal authority to demand voters’ private data, siding with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
Benson had refused to provide birthdates, partial Social Security numbers, and driver’s license numbers.
“I told them they can’t have it,” Benson said.
The ruling dealt a significant blow to the administration’s election control efforts.
Starting in summer 2025, the Department of Justice demanded voter data from more than 40 states and Washington, D.C., and sued the 30 that refused to comply. The administration invoked a 1960s civil rights law originally written to protect Black voters from discrimination, but the court found it misapplied the law “to ensure that some people have not voted.”
The court ruled Michigan’s voter file didn’t qualify under the law and stated the DOJ failed to include required legal elements in its demand letters.
This is the first federal appeals court ruling on the issue, setting binding precedent for over 20 pending DOJ suits against other states. And at least eight district courts have already dismissed similar DOJ lawsuits, according to the University of Wisconsin Law School.
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