A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at compelling Kentucky election officials to release confidential voter data. The requested records included voters’ dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and Social Security numbers.
The decision marks the seventeenth time a federal court has rejected similar legal efforts by the Justice Department to acquire state-level voter records. The lawsuit formed part of a broader federal initiative during the Trump administration to obtain detailed voter records from multiple states.
Prior to the court’s decision, the League of Women Voters of Kentucky, the New Americans Initiative, and two individual Kentucky residents intervened in the lawsuit. Represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Kentucky, the intervenors filed a motion arguing that federal law does not grant the Department of Justice authority to require the release of personal voter information.
The ACLU and partner groups have mounted legal challenges against comparable record requests in other jurisdictions, citing concerns over voter privacy and public confidence in election systems.
Following the court’s order, the intervening plaintiffs and their legal counsel issued a joint statement addressing the outcome:
“This ruling is a significant victory for Kentucky voters and their right to participate in our democracy without sacrificing their privacy. The Department of Justice has no legal basis to demand highly sensitive personal information, no doubt to weaponize it against eligible voters and chill civic participation. In a moment where President Trump continues to weaponize the DOJ against the American people and attempts to sow doubt and chaos into our elections, we are proud to have represented Kentucky voters and civic organizations in challenging this federal overreach, and will continue to defend voter privacy and access to the ballot.”
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