Judge Blocks DOJ's Attempt to Access Rhode Islanders' Data

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — In a win for data privacy, U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy today granted a motion from voting rights groups to dismiss the U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuit to obtain Rhode Islanders’ sensitive voter data. ACLU and ACLU of RI filed the motion on behalf of Common Cause and three individual voters to stop the federal government’s overreach and protect Rhode Islanders’ voter data. The decision also applies to a separate motion to dismiss that was filed by the Rhode Island Secretary of State.

“Today’s ruling is a massive victory for voter privacy and a rejection of federal overreach. The decision ensures voters are protected from an unauthorized national database that would have been a goldmine for hackers and a tool for intimidation. Our elections remain safe, secure, and in the hands of Rhode Islanders where they belong,” said John Marion, Common Cause’s Rhode Island Executive Director.

“There is no reason the Department of Justice needs this extremely sensitive data other than for questionable, potentially unlawful, and almost certainly privacy-invasive purposes,” said Steven Brown, executive director of the ACLU of RI. “We’re pleased the court agreed with our position, and we remain staunchly dedicated to protecting the privacy and voting rights of all Rhode Islanders.”

In December 2025, the DOJ requested Rhode Island’s entire non-public voter file, including sensitive information like birth dates, driver’s license numbers, and Social Security numbers. State officials offered to provide publicly available voter data, but the Department of Justice instead sued the State.

During the March 26 hearing, the federal government failed to justify why they needed this information. The Department of Justice’s attorney also acknowledged that the information would be shared with the Department of Homeland Security and could be used for additional purposes.

Advocacy and civil liberties groups have raised concerns about how this data could be used to assemble a national voter database, which Congress has never authorized and could be used to disenfranchise legitimate voters. Centralizing this sensitive information would also make it more vulnerable to hackers and scammers.

Three other federal courts have also rejected the DOJ’s efforts to obtain private voter data.

“This Administration cannot bully the States,” said Ari Savitzky, senior staff attorney with the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project. “It cannot seize voters’ private data. It cannot take over our elections. Today’s dismissal order is more proof that voters, not the federal government, hold the keys to our democracy.”

“Every voter deserves to know their personal information is secure, protected, and used only for its intended purpose of maintaining accurate voter registration records,” said Maryam Jazini Dorcheh, Senior Director of Litigation at Common Cause. “This ruling defends voters’ rights and privacy in Rhode Island, and we will continue advocating to ensure those protections are upheld nationwide.”

You can view the filing here.

You can view the decision here.