California judge becomes first to dismiss DOJ suit seeking voter data

A federal judge in California handed the Trump administration its first major legal defeat on Thursday in a nationwide effort to force states to turn over sensitive voter registration information.

U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit that sought access to California’s unredacted voter file, including highly personal data such as Social Security numbers and driver’s license information. The ruling is the first decision in a series of similar cases the administration has filed against more than 20 states.

The Golden State is one of 23 states, along with Washington, D.C., that the DOJ has sued for refusing to provide detailed voter data. All of the targeted states are led by Democrats or were carried