DOJ Loses Voter Data Battle in Michigan

A federal appeals court just blocked the Justice Department from accessing Michigan’s sensitive voter data, ruling that the DOJ’s attempt to use a 1960s Civil Rights Act provision to obtain birth dates, driver’s licenses, and Social Security numbers was legally flawed. The court emphasized that state-created voter databases aren’t “records in possession” under the law, and forcing states to hand over such data could violate other federal statutes requiring accurate voter rolls. This win for Michigan’s Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson could escalate to the Supreme Court, as the DOJ seeks to appeal. One judge dissented, arguing the data should be accessible to combat voting discrimination, but the majority stressed the need to protect states from legal conflicts. The case underscores the growing battle over voter data control ahead of key elections. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/ed10d300a319d227