The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Dec. 18, 2025
The U.S. Justice Department filed suits December 12th to compel Massachusetts, Colorado, Hawaii and Nevada to turn over voter registration records, including citizenship records and personal data. Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington were sued December 2nd, bringing the total to 18.
DOJ confirmed in September that it is amassing the data in a central database and sharing it with the Department of Homeland Security. To date, only Indiana and Wyoming have fully complied, according to a tracker by the Brennan Center for Justice.
In a statement concerning the latest suits, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said: “States have the statutory duty to preserve and protect their constituents from vote dilution. If states will not fulfill their duty to protect the integrity of the ballot, we will, ” UNQUOTE. A study of the states President Trump accused of widespread illegal voting during the 2016 election found non citizen voting was an almost non-existent .0001%.
Two GOP-run states, Nebraska and South Carolina, filed for state injunctions to prevent election officials from releasing the information. Maine requested its case be dismissed on protected speech grounds, and a class action lawsuit by voters and the League of Women Voters argues the database is a direct violation of the 1974 Privacy Act.
We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
American Democracy Minute – Justice Department Sues Maine & Oregon for Withholding State Voter Registration and Voting Data from Trump Administration
American Democracy Minute – Class Action Suit by Voters Claims Personal Data Shared to the Trump Administration’s SAVE Database Violates the Privacy Act of 1974
U.S. Department of Justice – Justice Department Sues Four Additional States and One Locality for Failure to Comply with Federal Elections Laws
U.S. Department of Justice – Justice Department Sues Six Additional States for Failure to Provide Voter Registration Rolls
Brennan Center for Justice – Tracker of Justice Department Requests for Voter Information
Brennan Center for Justice – Noncitizen Voting: The Missing Millions
Maine Morning Star – Maine asks court to throw out DOJ lawsuit seeking access to sensitive voter data
Groups Taking Action:
League of Women Voters,C.R.E.W., Electronic Privacy Information Center, Fair Elections Center
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State
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