Federal judge tosses Trump administration lawsuit seeking full access to Illinois voter rolls

<p>A downstate federal judge has rejected an effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to obtain full access to Illinois’ voter registration database, including sensitive personal data on more than 8 million residents statewide.</p><p>The Justice Department’s request for the voter rolls “to ascertain Illinois’s compliance” with federal law isn’t a legitimate reason for demanding the vast trove of data, “as it does not relate to any suspected violation of voting,” Judge Colleen Lawless wrote in a 14-page opinion issued Friday.</p><p>The decision from Illinois’ Central District court in Springfield marked the 19th ruling nationwide against lawsuits filed by the Trump DOJ <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2025/12/19/illinois-voter-rolls-voting-lawsuit-president-trump" target="_blank" ><u>over the past year</u></a> in what it has called an effort to ensure election integrity.</p><p>Trump has long falsely claimed rampant voter fraud led to his 2020 election loss to former President Joe Biden, though cases of fraud have proven <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/democracy/2024/05/15/election-disinformation-democracy-solutions-project" target="_blank" ><u>exceedingly rare anywhere in the country</u></a>.</p><p>“If the Attorney General could simply justify his demand with a statement of any purpose whatsoever, the requirement that he specify his purpose (and his basis) would be pointless and it would provide him with unfettered authority to demand voting records,” Lawless wrote.</p><p>Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the ruling underscores the fact “voters can remain confident that our elections are fair and secure.”</p><p>“The Trump administration’s demand for Illinois’ unredacted voter registration list is part of the president’s ongoing efforts to undermine and sow doubt in U.S. elections,” Raoul said in a statement.