Federal Judge Blocks DOJ Request for New Jersey Voter Registration Data

A New Jersey federal judge on Wednesday rejected the Justice Department’s attempt to obtain the state’s unredacted voter registration records, determining that privacy protections for citizens outweighed the government’s request. District Judge Zahid Quraishi, appointed by President Joe Biden, found that disclosure of the computerized voter registration list could compromise voter privacy and that the Civil Rights Act did not provide the legal basis the Trump administration claimed.

The decision represents another legal setback for the administration’s broader effort to access voter data from multiple states. The DOJ has sued Utah, Oklahoma, Kentucky, West Virginia, and New Jersey this year seeking voter records, arguing that Title III of the Civil Rights Act authorized federal access to the materials. Quraishi’s written opinion disputed this interpretation, stating that the law applied only to records already in the possession of election officials, not state-created documents like New Jersey’s computerized system.

The court’s ruling coincides with heightened scrutiny of New Jersey’s election administration following the discovery of a significant software failure. Governor Mikie Sherrill disclosed that approximately 6,600 noncitizens were erroneously registered through the state’s Motor Vehicle System due to a technical error. The state has initiated an investigation and begun removing ineligible voters from registration rolls, with fewer than 400 of those improperly registered having cast ballots.

Separately, reports emerged that roughly 75,000 noncitizens received jury duty summons through state databases, widening concerns beyond the Motor Vehicle Commission. Senator Andy Kim, D-N.J., acknowledged the severity of the registration failure while emphasizing the need for accountability and corrective measures. Republican lawmakers have called for expanded investigations into the scope of election administration problems within the state.