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 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. On the same day it sued New Hampshire, the DOJ also filed lawsuits against California, Michigan, New York, Minnesota and Pennsylvania for refusing to turn over unredacted statewide voter registration lists. Earlier this month, the DOJ filed similar lawsuits against Oregon and Maine. 

Latest Updates

• Oct. 1, 2025: Because of the government shutdown, the DOJ has requested a pause in proceedings.
• Sept. 30, 2025: Four New Hampshire voters filed a motion to intervene in the DOJ’s lawsuit seeking the state’s full, unredacted voter registration list. They argue that releasing such sensitive personal data would violate New Hampshire’s constitutional right to privacy and state laws promising that the voter database remain “private and confidential.”
• Sept. 25, 2025: The DOJ filed its complaint.