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Colleen Lawless Dismisses Department of Justice Lawsuit Over Illinois Voter Database

U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless ruled Friday that the Department of Justice lacks the legal authority to compel Illinois to provide its unredacted statewide voter registration database. The ruling marks the 19th consecutive district court defeat for the administration in its nationwide effort to obtain sensitive voter records from states. The administration argued that access to the records, which include driver's license and Social Security numbers, was necessary to verify state compliance with federal election laws. However, Lawless found that Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 does not authorize the attorney general to obtain a live database created by the state. The judge also noted that the administration's demand lacked a factual basis and that the federal government does not have a general auditing power over state election officials. While the administration can appeal the decision, the ruling reinforces the view that states maintain primary authority over their own election records and voter privacy.

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