Montpelier, VT – On Thursday, September 17, United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier dismissed the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s lawsuit against Vermont demanding the state’s voter rolls.

The Court agreed with the Attorney General’s argument, that the statute the federal government relied on—Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960—does not authorize DOJ to demand a complete, unredacted copy of a state’s voter list. The Court also found that DOJ’s demand lacked any factual basis or lawful purpose.

In response to the ruling, Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas and Attorney General Clark issued the following statement:

“The court made clear: The Trump Administration had no authority to demand access to the sensitive personal information of voters – including home addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security and driver’s license numbers. Vermont lawfully and correctly refused the Federal Government’s demand, and today’s ruling affirms our efforts to protect the privacy and voting rights of Vermonters from unlawful federal overreach.”