{"id":86373,"date":"2026-06-24T17:33:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T21:33:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/federal-appeals-court-blocks-trump-administrations-bid-for-michigan-voter-data\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T17:33:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T21:33:58","slug":"federal-appeals-court-blocks-trump-administrations-bid-for-michigan-voter-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/federal-appeals-court-blocks-trump-administrations-bid-for-michigan-voter-data\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal Appeals Court Blocks Trump Administration’s Bid for Michigan Voter Data"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

Michigan’s registered voters will keep their personal information protected after a federal appeals court handed the Trump administration another legal setback on Wednesday.<\/p>

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that a federal law cited by the U.S. Justice Department does not require Michigan to turn over voter birth dates, driver’s license numbers, or partial Social Security numbers. The ruling upholds an earlier decision made by a federal judge in Lansing, Michigan.<\/p>

Michigan is far from alone in this legal battle. Courts have also blocked similar federal demands in Maryland, Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. In Georgia, a judge threw out the government’s lawsuit on procedural grounds because it was filed in the wrong city, leading the government to refile the case in a different location.<\/p>

Michigan’s Secretary of State, a Democrat named Jocelyn Benson, stated that under federal law, the government is only entitled to the same basic voter registration list available to any ordinary member of the public.<\/p>

The Trump administration argued it needs the detailed voter information to verify that Michigan is following federal election law, pointing to what it described as “anomalies” and other concerns raised in court documents.<\/p>

Michigan’s legal team pushed back, arguing the administration’s true intentions go further \u2014 including building a national voter database and sharing the information with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to check whether any non-citizens may have registered or cast ballots.<\/p>

Not all states have resisted. According to the Brennan Center for Justice and Associated Press reporting, at least 13 states have already handed over or agreed to provide their voter registration lists to the federal government: Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A federal appeals court has ruled against the Trump administration’s attempt to obtain personal information on Michigan’s registered voters. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Michigan in a 2-1 decision, the latest in a string of court losses for the administration on this issue. At least nine states have now successfully blocked similar federal efforts in court.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":86372,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[833],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782336837811.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-mt7","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":49879,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/federal-court-blocks-doj-attempt-to-access-massachusetts-voter-records\/","url_meta":{"origin":86373,"position":0},"title":"Federal Court Blocks DOJ Attempt to Access Massachusetts Voter Records","author":"Admin","date":"April 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A federal judge has thrown out the Justice Department's lawsuit demanding Massachusetts voter registration data, marking the fifth such legal defeat for the Trump administration. The court ruled that federal officials failed to provide proper justification required under civil rights law for accessing sensitive voter information.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775781503078.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775781503078.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775781503078.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1775781503078.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":70258,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/federal-courts-block-justice-dept-voter-roll-demands-in-maine-wisconsin\/","url_meta":{"origin":86373,"position":1},"title":"Federal Courts Block Justice Dept. Voter Roll Demands in Maine, Wisconsin","author":"Admin","date":"May 21, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Federal judges in two states rejected the Justice Department's efforts to obtain detailed voter registration records on Thursday. The decisions add to a growing list of court defeats for the federal government's attempts to collect sensitive voter information from states nationwide.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779399501441.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779399501441.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779399501441.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/news-1779399501441.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":85783,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/federal-judge-throws-out-doj-lawsuit-seeking-maryland-voter-records\/","url_meta":{"origin":86373,"position":2},"title":"Federal Judge Throws Out DOJ Lawsuit Seeking Maryland Voter Records","author":"Admin","date":"June 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A federal judge has dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit that sought access to Maryland's detailed voter registration data, marking the ninth such defeat for the Trump administration. The judge ruled that unredacted voter files are not records states are required to hand over to the federal government. The ruling adds\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782243192771.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782243192771.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782243192771.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782243192771.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58919,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/arizona-wins-court-battle-against-federal-voter-data-request\/","url_meta":{"origin":86373,"position":3},"title":"Arizona Wins Court Battle Against Federal Voter Data Request","author":"Admin","date":"April 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A federal judge has thrown out a Justice Department lawsuit demanding Arizona's detailed voter registration records. The ruling marks another legal defeat for federal efforts to obtain sensitive voter information from states nationwide.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777423001274.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777423001274.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777423001274.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777423001274.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22896,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/trump-taps-personal-attorney-for-federal-appeals-court-judge\/","url_meta":{"origin":86373,"position":4},"title":"Trump Taps Personal Attorney for Federal Appeals Court Judge","author":"Admin","date":"February 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"President Trump has selected Justin Smith, an attorney who defended him in high-profile legal cases, for a position on the federal appeals court. Smith represented Trump in both the presidential immunity case and the E. Jean Carroll lawsuit.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1771471007097.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":53802,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/rhode-island-wins-court-battle-against-federal-voter-data-demands\/","url_meta":{"origin":86373,"position":5},"title":"Rhode Island Wins Court Battle Against Federal Voter Data Demands","author":"Admin","date":"April 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A federal judge has thrown out a Justice Department lawsuit that sought comprehensive voter information from Rhode Island. The ruling joins similar decisions in other states rejecting federal attempts to obtain sensitive voter data including Social Security numbers and addresses.","rel":"","context":"In "Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776454731889.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776454731889.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776454731889.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776454731889.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86373"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86373\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}