Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit seeking Michigan's electronic voter list
(FOX 2) - A federal judge has dismissed efforts by the Department of Justice seeking after Michigan’s full electronic voter list.
Big picture view:
On Tuesday, Judge Hala Jarbou of the US District Court for Michigan's Western District dismissed a lawsuit which was filed by the DOJ which sought the state's unredacted electronic voter list, which officials say included full dates of birth, driver’s licenses, social security numbers, and personal identification card numbers.
According to a press release, the motion to dismiss was filed by Attorney General Dana Nessel and was granted by the court.
"The Trump administration attempted to unlawfully force Michigan into handing over private, sensitive information of millions of voters with no legal basis, and I am relieved that the Court dismissed this case," said Nessel. "We will not be bullied into violating the privacy rights of residents, and my office will continue to protect the personal data of Michiganders."
"This ruling is a victory for the citizens of Michigan and the rule of law," said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. "Once again, a federal judge has blocked this administration from abusing their authority and attempting to illegally intimidate state officials into handing over citizens’ personal information. Today’s decision affirms that the law is on our side. I urge state election officials across the country to stand up to the federal government’s overreach and to safeguard citizens’ private voting information we’ve been entrusted to protect. I will never stop fighting any effort that threatens the rights and privacy of Michigan’s voters."
Dig deeper:
This comes after the FBI seized physical ballots and digital records at the Fulton County Election Hub in Georgia. The investigation centers around a criminal investigation into potential voting law violations during the 2020 General Election.
In court documents unsealed Tuesday, the FBI revealed it is investigating whether "intentional acts" led to discrepancies in the count of 528,777 ballots in Georgia’s most populous county. The probe focuses on potential violations of federal laws governing the retention of election records and the undermining of a fair vote-counting process.
Fulton County Election raid: Federal court unseals FBI search warrant, affidavit
The FBI is investigating if "intentional acts" caused discrepancies in Fulton County’s 2020 election vote counts.
What's next:
The DOJ argued in its lawsuit that it has a right to Michigan's unredacted electronic voter list under the Civil Rights Act of 1960, the National Voter Registration Act, and the Help America Vote Act.
However, those arguments were rejected by Judge Jarbou, saying the Help America Vote Act does not require disclosure of any voter records.
The state's electronic voter list is not a list of maintenance records subject to disclosure under the National Voter Registration Act, and similarly that the electronic voter list is not a paper or record that comes within an election official’s possession for purposes of disclosure under the Civil Rights Act.