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Common Cause Granted Motion to Intervene in DOJ Lawsuit Demanding Georgia Voter File
Common Cause filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice against Georgia that demands it hand over its non-public voter file. A district court has granted our motion, meaning Common Cause is now party to the lawsuit, and we are seeking its dismissal.
What the DOJ Lawsuit Against Georgia Demands
By law, states, not the federal government, have the authority to maintain their voter files, which contain sensitive information including full names, addresses, dates of birth, driver’s license and partial Social Security numbers. However, the Trump administration has been on a quest to collect these databases to assemble their own master voter file, a move that threatens the integrity of our elections and risks disenfranchising many Americans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Why Georgia Is Refusing to Hand Over Its Full Voter File to the DOJ
Most of these states, including Georgia, have resisted pressure from the DOJ to hand over voter data. State election officials provided a redacted voter file to the federal government, proving they maintain their voter rolls, and have stated that providing any additional information would violate state law. Now, they’re among the several states being sued for their non-public voter file by the Trump administration. In response, Common Cause has filed motions to intervene in several of these lawsuits. Our motion in Georgia was granted.
What’s Next in the Georgia Voter File Case?
Moving forward, the State of Georgia, Common Cause, and its partners are seeking the dismissal of this lawsuit, which would reject the Trump administrations attempt to collect this sensitive data.
What Is at Risk If the DOJ Gets Ahold of State Voter Files?
Trump has repeatedly signaled his willingness to undermine our democracy to stay in power. Whether continuing to spread disproven conspiracies about the 2020 election in Georgia’s Fulton County or calling on Republicans to “nationalize the voting,” he has shown time and again that winning is more important to him than a fair and free democracy.
How a Trump Administration Master Voter File Threatens Election Integrity
Demanding state voter files is another attempt to undermine states’ statutory power to manage elections, and the disenfranchisement that the Trump administration could carry out with a master national voter file is deeply concerning.
How a Federal Voter Database Could Be Used to Purge Eligible Voters
A list like this could be used to conduct strategic and widespread purges of eligible voters from voter rolls, including purges that are targeted based on factors like location, age, and gender in an effort to gain a partisan advantage.
Why Immigrant and Minority Communities in Georgia Face Heightened Risk
And given the Department of Homeland Security’s cruel attacks on immigrants and communities of color, regardless of their citizenship status, a potential federal database like this poses even greater risk – already, the DOJ has acknowledged that it is sharing voter information with DHS. Knowing that the federal government has collected a database of sensitive information could intimidate potential voters from these communities and prevent them from registering to vote.
F.A.Q.
Why is the DOJ suing Georgia over its voter file if Georgia already provided voter data to the federal government?
Georgia state election officials provided a redacted voter file to the federal government to demonstrate that they maintain their voter rolls. However, the Trump administration is demanding access to the full non-public voter file, which state officials say would violate Georgia state law. The DOJ’s lawsuit is seeking that additional sensitive data, which is why Common Cause filed — and was granted — a motion to intervene to help fight for the lawsuit’s dismissal.
What sensitive information is in Georgia's voter file, and why does it matter who controls it?
Georgia’s non-public voter file contains highly sensitive personal data, including full names, home addresses, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers. Under existing law, states — not the federal government — have the authority to maintain and protect this data. If the Trump administration succeeds in seizing Georgia’s full voter file, it could be used to conduct targeted purges of eligible voters or assembled into a national master voter file that threatens election integrity ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Is the DOJ sharing the voter data it collects with the Department of Homeland Security?
Yes — the DOJ has already acknowledged sharing voter information with DHS. For Georgia’s immigrant communities and communities of color, this raises serious concerns that a federal voter database could intimidate eligible voters from registering or participating in elections out of fear that their personal information could be accessed by immigration enforcement agencies.
