Federal judge rejects DOJ attempt to obtain unredacted New Jersey voter rolls

A federal judge dismissed a Department of Justice lawsuit seeking unredacted New Jersey voter rolls, joining 16 other district courts in rejecting the federal effort. The lawsuit followed a New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission error that mistakenly registered thousands of individuals, leading to 400 noncitizens voting. While the DOJ plans to appeal, New Jersey officials, including Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, praised the ruling as a victory against federal overreach.

DOJ voter roll lawsuit

• ▪The United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against New Jersey in February 2026 to compel the state to release missing voter records.
• ▪The Department of Justice announced that it disagrees with the court's decision and intends to appeal the ruling.
• ▪The Department of Justice's lawsuit against New Jersey is part of dozens of similar lawsuits brought by the Trump administration against state election administrators.

Federal court dismissal

• ▪Judge Quraishi's ruling joins decisions by at least 16 other district courts and one federal appeals court in rejecting similar Department of Justice claims.
• ▪Federal Judge Quraishi dismissed the Department of Justice's lawsuit, ruling that the federal government cannot compel New Jersey to release unredacted voter records.

Noncitizen voter registration error

• ▪Approximately 400 noncitizens registered due to a New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission error cast ballots in at least one subsequent election.
• ▪A New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission error allowed thousands of individuals to register to vote between June 2023 and June 2024.

Voter data privacy protections

• ▪New Jersey official Sherrill formally rejected a Department of Justice demand to release information on 6,600 noncitizens added to the voter rolls on July 28, 2026.
• ▪New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport praised the court's dismissal of the lawsuit, characterizing the Department of Justice's demand as clear federal overreach.

RNC voter access lawsuit

• ▪A different federal district judge rebuffed the Republican National Committee's attempt to access New Jersey voter roll data in July 2026.
• ▪The Republican National Committee's legal effort to access voter roll data represents a separate court battle over New Jersey's voter lists.