Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Justice has initiated legal action against the states of Oregon and Maine, claiming they have breached several federal laws by not supplying essential voter registration data, which includes complete electronic versions of statewide voter rolls and information on how these lists are maintained.
The lawsuits, submitted on Tuesday in federal court, assert that both states and their Secretaries of State — Tobias Read from Oregon and Shenna Bellows from Maine — are not adhering to the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (CRA).
“States simply cannot pick and choose which federal laws they will comply with — especially when it comes to our voting laws,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who leads the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. “American citizens have a right to feel confident in the integrity of our electoral process. The refusal of certain states to protect their citizens against vote dilution will result in legal consequences.”
Details of the Lawsuits
Oregon Lawsuit
The DOJ alleges that Oregon has refused to:
- Provide an unredacted electronic copy of its statewide voter registration list.
- Disclose its voter list maintenance procedures — the processes used to update, correct, or remove voter information.
- Share registration data related to ineligible voters, as required under federal law.
Maine Lawsuit
Similarly, the department claims that Maine has:
- Failed to produce a complete, computerized voter registration list.
- Refused to supply information about the removal of ineligible voters from the state’s rolls.
Both states face allegations of breaching the NVRA and HAVA provisions, which require transparency in the management of voter lists to prevent fraud and uphold election integrity. The lawsuits also reference the Civil Rights Act, which stipulates requirements for maintaining and disclosing voter registration records.
Compounding the legal issues, the Justice Department claims that Oregon and Maine had previously provided the requested information to a private entity but refused to do so for the federal government — a decision that DOJ officials contend weakens federal oversight and equitable treatment under the law.
These lawsuits arise during ongoing national discussions regarding election security, transparency, and voter access, as the nation gears up for the 2026 midterm elections. They represent a notable intensification of federal initiatives aimed at ensuring state adherence to voter registration laws that have been established for many years.
“This isn’t just about bureaucracy,” said a senior DOJ official familiar with the case. “This is about ensuring that elections are free, fair, and lawful — and that the federal government has the tools it needs to enforce that.”
What Happens Next?
The Department of Justice is seeking court orders that would compel both states to:
- Immediately produce the requested voter registration data.
- Fully comply with the NVRA, HAVA, and CRA moving forward.
- Review and potentially revise their list maintenance procedures to ensure federal compliance.
The Secretaries of State for Oregon and Maine have not yet issued public responses to the lawsuits.
