Maine DOJ Voter Data Access Challenge

An anti-voting lawsuit seeking to compel Maine to provide the DOJ with access to its statewide voter registration data.

Background

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against Maine and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) for refusing to provide data on the removal of ineligible individuals and an unredacted copy of its statewide voter registration list. On July 24, the DOJ sent a letter to Bellows requesting, among other things, a current copy of the statewide voter registration list and information on the state’s compliance with voter list maintenance procedures. Bellows declined to provide a copy of the state’s voter list, citing privacy concerns and state law, which restricts the disclosure of confidential data except as authorized by statute. The DOJ argues that this refusal to provide sufficient information violates the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, and the Civil Rights Act of 1960, and is asking the court to compel Maine to produce the requested records concerning voter registration and list maintenance procedures. 

Why It Matters

This marks the latest escalation in the DOJ’s efforts to obtain sensitive voter registration data from states across the country. In recent months, the DOJ has intensified its demands for voter information as part of a broader, politically charged push aimed at pressuring states to remove voters from the rolls and advancing the Trump administration’s unfounded claims of widespread illegal voting. The DOJ has now sued 24 states, plus Washington, D.C. — California, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Massachusetts, Georgia, Illinois, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Arizona, Virginia and Washington — all of which have refused to hand over unredacted voter files containing highly sensitive personal information.

Latest Updates

• Dec. 12, 2025: The court granted the two Maine voters’ motion to intervene as defendants. The two Maine voters also filed a motion to dismiss.
• Sept. 23, 2025: Two Maine voters filed a motion to intervene as defendants.
• Sept. 18, 2025: The DOJ filed a motion to show cause why Maine should not be compelled to produce the requested records.
• Sept. 16, 2025: The DOJ filed its complaint.