New Hampshire DOJ Voter Data Access Challenge

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

Background

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against New Hampshire and Secretary of State David Scanlan (R) for refusing to provide voter list maintenance information and an unredacted copy of its statewide voter registration list. On June 25, the DOJ sent a letter to Scanlan requesting, among other things, a current copy of the statewide voter registration list and information on how the state maintains its voter rolls.  In a July 25 response, DOJ claims Scanlan left several requests unanswered or inadequately addressed, particularly those concerning duplicate registrations, verification procedures, and how ineligible voters on the rolls are identified. According to the DOJ, Scanlan also stated that state law did not allow him to provide the full voter registration list, but that the DOJ could seek public data from each municipality directly. The DOJ argues that this failure to provide sufficient information violates the Help America Vote Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1960, and is asking the court to compel New Hampshire to produce the requested records, including the state’s full voter list with each voter’s date of birth, address and other sensitive information. 

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

• Feb. 9, 2026: Four New Hampshire voters filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
• Feb. 6, 2026: The New Hampshire Secretary of State filed a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim.
• Jan. 5, 2026: The court granted the four New Hampshire voters’ motion to intervene.
• Sept. 30, 2025: Four New Hampshire voters filed a motion to intervene as defendants.
• Sept. 25, 2025: The DOJ filed its complaint.