PORTLAND, Maine — Today, a federal judge dismissed the U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuit against Maine after the state refused to hand over its complete voter file. The file contains sensitive information about Maine voters, like partial Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers. The League of Women Voters of Maine intervened in the case, United States v. Bellows, to protect voter privacy and the state’s authority to administer its own elections. The court ruled against the Justice Department, finding that it failed to establish a sufficient legal basis for demanding the data. The state of Maine, not the federal government, is responsible for maintaining its voter rolls and protecting its voters’ sensitive information. The ruling marks the seventh time a federal court has rejected a Justice Department voter file lawsuit — and an eighth court has since dismissed a suit against Wisconsin.
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, the Campaign Legal Center, and Johnson, Webbert & Beard LLP served as co-counsel for the League of Women Voters of Maine. The organizations reacted to the ruling as follows:
“This is a major win for democratic values and election integrity. The League of Women Voters of Maine is pleased with the dismissal and was proud to represent our members and Maine voters in this case,” said Chrissy Hart, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Maine. “This attempted overreach by the federal government does not serve Maine voters, who know that our elections are run securely and with integrity. We will continue to defend voters and safeguard their rights.”
“This decision is yet another strike against the federal government’s campaign to gather voter data nationwide. It affirms that states — not the federal government — maintain voter rolls and administer elections,” said Eileen O’Connor, former attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department and Brennan Center for Justice senior counsel. “This ruling is a rejection of the Justice Department’s unprecedented attempts to interfere with states’ authority.”
“Today’s victory is a win for Maine voters that sends a clear message: The U.S. Department of Justice must stop unlawfully attempting to seize sensitive voter data,” said Sejal Jhaveri, senior legal counsel for strategic litigation at Campaign Legal Center. “The DOJ should be working to enforce hard-fought voter protections, not overreaching its authority to force states to hand over the private information of their voters. We will continue to defend the rule of law from politically-motivated attacks and executive overreach.”
“This decision re-affirms that our democracy works best when voting systems are administered fairly, securely, and in accordance with the Constitution,” said Marcia Johnson, chief of activation and justice for the League of Women Voters. “Across the country, we are seeing coordinated efforts to erode trust in our democratic systems and weaken states’ ability to protect the freedom to vote. The League was proud to stand in defense of voters and democratic principles in this case, and we will not stop fighting until every voter in every state can participate freely, fairly, and with confidence in our democracy.
“The Maine federal court’s decision today vindicates the fundamental right of Mainers to protect the integrity of our elections,” said Allan Townsend of Johnson, Webbert & Beard, LLP, and a former lawyer in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. “The decision upholds the rule of law by stopping the federal government’s illegal effort to grab Maine voters’ private information and use it to undermine our elections.”
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