DOJ lawsuit seeking Georgia voters’ unredacted data dismissed, again

For the second time, a federal judge in Georgia has dismissed a lawsuit from U.S. Department of Justice officials seeking access to sensitive voter data.

Federal judge tosses out DOJ lawsuit seeking sensitive voter data in Georgia

Federal officials have been demanding that state officials turn over Georgia voters’ personal data — including the Social Security numbers, full dates of birth and driver’s license numbers — since 2025, arguing the information was needed as part of an ongoing investigation into “Georgia’s compliance with federal election law.” 

But in a Wednesday ruling, Northern District Judge Victoria M. Calvert said neither law cited in the Justice Department’s lawsuit required states to disclose sensitive information to the federal government and that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger had proven he was able to comply with federal voter maintenance laws without providing the unredacted information.

“The Court is not persuaded by any of Plaintiff’s arguments,” she wrote.

Raffensperger celebrated Calvert’s dismissal of the case.

“Georgia has worked with our federal partners and will continue to do so, but cooperation does not mean ignoring the law or surrendering the privacy rights of Georgia voters,” he said in a statement. “We stood our ground because the law was clear, and we are thankful the Court agreed.”

Justice Department officials have also lost in 25 other cases seeking states’ unredacted voter roll data across the country. Kiersten Pels, a press secretary for the Department of Justice, said the department is reviewing the decision and will most likely file an appeal.

Since last year, federal officials have been seeking access to the unredacted data of all registered voters in Georgia. In January, Judge C. Ashley Royal dismissed the Justice Department’s first lawsuit against Raffensperger because the case was filed in Georgia’s Macon-based Middle District court, which is not where the records were located. Less than a week later, federal officials re-filed their suit in Georgia’s Northern District, which covers the secretary of state’s Atlanta office.

Raffensperger, a Republican, had previously sent redacted voter registration data to Justice Department officials, but he argued that state law prohibited his office from divulging all the data requested. He also rebuffed a pressure campaign from some state lawmakers and members of Georgia’s State Election Board urging him to turn over the data.