DETROIT — A U.S. appeals court rejected the Justice Department's bid to force Michigan to turn over unredacted voter registration records containing sensitive personal information, upholding a lower court's dismissal of the lawsuit.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued a 2-1 decision on Wednesday in the case involving Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. The ruling marked the first appellate decision in the Trump administration's efforts to obtain detailed voter rolls from multiple states ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The Justice Department had sought Michigan's full statewide voter file, which includes names, dates of birth, driver's license numbers and partial Social Security numbers of registered voters. Michigan provided a public version of the list but declined to release the unredacted data, citing privacy protections and lack of legal requirement.
A federal district judge in Michigan dismissed the case in February, ruling that federal laws cited by the Justice Department, including provisions of the Civil Rights Act and voting statutes, did not authorize the demand. The appeals court panel agreed with that assessment.
"The government had no statutory authority to demand the sensitive, unredacted voter information it sought," the court stated in its opinion.
The dispute is part of broader Justice Department requests sent to numerous states seeking voter data for list-maintenance purposes under laws such as the Help America Vote Act and the National Voter Registration Act. Michigan officials argued the requests exceeded federal authority.
Benson's office welcomed the decision. "This ruling affirms that Michigan will continue to protect voter privacy while maintaining accurate voter rolls," a spokesperson for the secretary of state said.
The Justice Department did not immediately comment on the ruling or whether it would seek further review. The administration has faced dismissals in similar lawsuits against other states, with appeals pending in additional circuits.
Voting rights groups and some former election officials have supported states' positions, emphasizing privacy concerns and limits on federal overreach. The case has drawn attention amid ongoing debates over election administration and voter data access.
As of Thursday, the full impact on the Justice Department's nationwide efforts remained unclear. Michigan officials said they would continue complying with applicable federal election laws while safeguarding voter information. Further legal developments in related cases are expected in the coming months.
