Roughly two dozen states, including Minnesota, have rebuffed the Trump administration's demand for access to their voter rolls, sparking legal battles with the Justice Department. Democratic officials view the push as an overreach tied to unsubstantiated election fraud claims. The administration insists the requests ensure compliance with federal election laws.
The Trump administration has launched a yearlong campaign seeking voter records from nearly every state and the District of Columbia to verify compliance with federal election laws and maintain accurate rolls free of non-citizen voters. This effort, which coincides with President Trump's repeated assertions that the 2020 election was rigged, has met fierce resistance from state officials.
At the forefront is Minnesota, where Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote to Governor Tim Walz, linking the handover of voter rolls to restoring 'law and order' amid an immigration crackdown. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat, rejected the request, describing it as serving the president's 'longstanding but false view that election systems around the country are rigging elections.' Simon noted that the matter was already under court dispute and he has received no further response from the administration.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, also a Democrat, labeled the demand 'extortion' during a recent meeting of the National Association of Secretaries of State. 'The voter roll stuff is not about voter rolls. There’s something bigger going on,' Fontes said, suggesting broader motives beyond routine maintenance.
The Justice Department has sued 24 non-compliant states—most led by Democrats—along with the District of Columbia, citing privacy concerns over sensitive voter data. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows expressed fears that federal access could target individuals based on identity or politics, stating, 'This Justice Department has weaponized its office.'
While at least 11 states, including Republican-led Wyoming, have complied—Wyoming's Secretary of State Chuck Gray called it 'routine voter list maintenance'—critics like Uzoma Nkwonta of Elias Law Group decry it as federal overreach. Nkwonta highlighted DOJ expectations of removing 'hundreds of thousands' of voters, emphasizing that maintaining rolls is a state responsibility.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the actions under laws like the Civil Rights Act and Help America Vote Act, affirming President Trump's commitment to election confidence. The Justice Department declined immediate comment.
