Trump Administration Suffers 21 Court Losses in Bid for State Voter Rolls

The Trump administration has lost 21 consecutive court battles this year in its effort to obtain state voter rolls. A judge ruled this week that states are not required to share these records with the federal government. The Justice Department has sued more than two dozen states that refused to provide rolls containing birthdays and partial Social Security numbers. Judges appointed by presidents of both parties have repeatedly found that the U.S. Constitution gives states primary responsibility for running federal elections.

President Trump argues that noncitizen voting is widespread and benefits the Democratic Party. However, state audits and independent studies have found such voting to be rare. A Reuters investigation noted that only 129 people have been prosecuted for noncitizen voting since 1996, with most cases resulting from confusion or miscommunication. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon stated that ensuring only eligible citizens vote is a core function of government.

The administration has also threatened to withhold some disaster relief funds from states that do not use a federal system for verifying citizenship. Additionally, the Justice Department has sought to restrict mail ballots to voters on lists compiled by the Department of Homeland Security. While the administration has appealed 16 of its losses, it has lost one appeal to date. Nine similar cases remain pending.