Appeals Court Blocks Trump Administration’s Request for Michigan Voter Data

A federal appeals court decided that Michigan can withhold personal information of registered voters. This marks another setback for the Trump administration, which sought key voter details from multiple states.

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a federal judge’s ruling in Lansing, Michigan, where they said federal law doesn’t cover the release of birth dates, driver’s license numbers, or partial Social Security numbers. Judges in other states, including Maryland, Arizona, and California, have also blocked similar efforts. In Georgia, a lawsuit was dismissed due to a filing error, leading to a refile in a different city.

Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s Secretary of State, stated that the federal government could only obtain a list of registered voters, akin to access granted to the general public. The Trump administration argued that they need this personal information to ensure compliance with federal election law, citing “anomalies” as a basis in court filings.

Michigan’s attorneys suggested that the federal government may have broader intentions, including the creation of a national voter file and collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security to investigate noncitizen voter enrollment.

Meanwhile, at least 13 states have agreed to provide the voter registration lists to the authorities. These states include Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming, as reported by the Brennan Center for Justice and the Associated Press.