Judge Tosses the Justice Department's Suit Demanding Arizona's Unredacted Voter Rolls

On April 28, 2026, U.S. District Judge Susan Brnovich dismissed the Justice Department's lawsuit seeking Arizona's complete, unredacted voter registration file, including full dates of birth and Social Security numbers. Federal prosecutors had invoked the Civil Rights Act of 1960, the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act. Brnovich held that none of the three statutes required the state to hand over the data. The department has appealed similar dismissals in Michigan, Oregon and California, and did not immediately comment on the Arizona ruling.

The suits are part of a broader federal effort to assemble voter data from the states ahead of the 2026 midterms. Because voter registration files are maintained by states under state law, the government's ability to compel disclosure turns on whether a federal statute affirmatively requires it, which is the question Brnovich answered in the negative. Similar claims have now failed in multiple districts.

The case was dismissed April 28, 2026. Parallel dismissals in other states were on appeal.