Federal Court Rules Michigan Doesn’t Have to Hand Over Voters’ Personal Information

A federal appeals court has ruled that Michigan does not have to hand over personal information of registered voters, upholding a federal judge’s decision in Lansing. The ruling comes from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which issued a 2-1 opinion.

The court determined that the release of birth dates, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers is not covered by Title III of the 1960 Civil Rights Act—a law the Department of Justice has cited to compel states into providing voter records. The voter rolls contain individuals’ date of birth, partial Social Security numbers, and driver’s license numbers.

The Trump administration has been repeatedly defeated in federal courts in its efforts to get states to turn over voter registration details. Judges have rejected similar requests in Arizona, California, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin, while a lawsuit in Georgia was dismissed due to improper jurisdiction.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, previously stated that the federal government could receive only a list of registered voters—not detailed personal information. She has argued that the administration’s push to create a national voter file and share data with the Department of Homeland Security to identify potential noncitizen voters violates privacy protections.

The administration claims it wants access to voter information to ensure Michigan complies with federal election law, citing “anomalies” in state records. However, attorneys for Michigan contended that such demands would enable a sweeping surveillance effort and undermine democratic processes.

Thirteen states have either provided or promised to hand over their voter registration lists: Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.