The decision is the latest loss for the Trump administration, which has sought access to state voter data ahead of the U.S. midterms.
Published on 17 April 2026
A federal judge in the United States has rejected a Justice Department lawsuit seeking access to voter data from Rhode Island.
Friday’s decision was the latest loss for President Donald Trump’s administration, which has sought to access voter data in dozens of states across the country.
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In the ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy sided with election officials and civil rights groups, writing that the Justice Department “does not have the authority to conduct the kind of fishing expedition it wants here”.
Rhode Island Secretary of State Greg Amore later praised the decision in a statement.
Amore wrote, “The executive branch appears to have no problem taking actions that are clearly constitutional violations, routinely interfering with responsibilities that are the authority of the states.”
“But the strength of our democratic republic, built on three coequal branches of government, is clearer than ever.”
The Justice Department has sued at least 30 states for their voter information, saying it needs the information to ensure election security. State officials have said turning over the data raises several privacy concerns.
Under the US Constitution, state officials administer elections. Only Congress can pass laws governing how states monitor voting.
But Trump has sought to change the election administration, claiming there was widespread voting fraud.
Notably, Trump has continued to say that the 2020 election, which he lost to former President Joe Biden, was “stolen.”
No evidence has ever been put forward to support the claims.
Federal judges have rejected efforts in California, Massachusetts, Michigan and Oregon to force states to turn over voter files to the federal government. However, at least 12 states have promised to voluntarily provide voter information to the Trump administration.
The push for voter information is one of several actions that have raised concerns about how the Trump administration will handle the midterm elections in November, which will decide the makeup of the US Congress.
He is currently calling on Republicans to pass the so-called SAVE America Act, a bill that would create higher documentation standards for voters to prove their citizenship when registering to vote and casting a ballot.
Most Republican lawmakers have accepted Trump’s claim that the law is needed to prevent non-citizens from registering to vote, despite studies showing that cases of voter fraud are extremely rare.
Critics say the measure would risk disenfranchising millions of voters, especially those who have legally changed their names, a common practice in American marriages.
