{"id":2351,"date":"2025-12-01T15:39:12","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T20:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/maryland\/?post_type=work&#038;p=2351"},"modified":"2026-04-09T15:41:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T19:41:14","slug":"u-s-v-demarinis","status":"publish","type":"work","link":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/maryland\/work\/u-s-v-demarinis\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. v. Demarinis"},"template":"","class_list":["post-2351","work","type-work","status-publish","hentry","work_type-litigation"],"acf":{"details":{"summary":"The Trump Administration has sued several states, including Maryland, in an attempt to collect non-public voter files with sensitive voter data \u2013 now, Common Cause has been granted a motion to intervene in the lawsuit on behalf of Maryland. ","featured_image":"","work_type":205,"related_issues":false,"location":23},"sidebar":{"helper_enable_sidebar":true,"helper_media_contact":{"heading":"Media Contact","manually_enter_person":false,"person":"","name":"","role":"","phone":"","email":""},"helper_links_downloads":{"heading":"Links & Downloads","links":[{"file_download":true,"link":null,"file":58310}]}},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<h2><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW19504551 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Title\">Common Cause Granted Motion to Intervene in Lawsuit by DOJ Demanding\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW19504551 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Title\">Maryland<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW19504551 BCX0\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"Title\">\u00a0Voter File<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Common Cause filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice against Maryland that demands it hand over its voter file. A district court has <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">granted our motion<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, meaning Common Cause is now\u00a0party\u00a0to the lawsuit, and we are\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">seeking its dismissal<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<h2>Common Cause Joins Maryland Lawsuit to Block Federal Data Seizure<\/h2>\r\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">By law, states, not the federal government, have the authority to\u00a0maintain\u00a0their voter files, which\u00a0contain\u00a0sensitive information including full names, addresses, dates of birth, driver\u2019s\u00a0license\u00a0and 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\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">threatens the integrity of our elections<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">risks disenfranchising<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">many Americans<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<h2>Jared DeMarinis and the Defense of Maryland Election Integrity<\/h2>\r\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Most of these states, including\u00a0Maryland, have resisted pressure from the DOJ to hand over voter data.\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/marylandmatters.org\/2025\/08\/05\/maryland-responds-to-feds-request-for-voter-data-with-step-by-step-guide-to-process\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Maryland Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis\u00a0responded with a detailed explanation<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0of how\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">county and state elections officials<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0maintain\u00a0voter rolls, protecting voting rights while also running safe and secure elections.\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Now,\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0among the several states\u00a0being sued for\u00a0the voter file<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0by the\u00a0Trump\u00a0administration. In response, Common Cause has filed motions to intervene in several of these lawsuits. Our motion in\u00a0Maryland\u00a0was granted.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<p aria-level=\"2\"><strong>What\u2019s\u00a0next in this case?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Moving forward,\u00a0the State of Maryland, Common Cause, and its partners are seeking the dismissal of this lawsuit, which would reject the Trump administrations\u00a0attempt\u00a0to collect this sensitive data.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<p aria-level=\"2\"><strong>What is at risk if the DOJ gets ahold of state voter files?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Trump has repeatedly signaled his willingness to undermine our democracy to stay in power. Whether\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/fbi-georgia-elections-office-fulton-county-28e736037521b17197760d2394f0ab43\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">continuing to spread disproven conspiracies about the 2020 election<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0or\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/02\/07\/nx-s1-5704400\/what-does-it-mean-when-the-president-calls-to-nationalize-the-voting\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">calling on Republicans to \u201cnationalize the voting,\u201d<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0he has shown\u00a0time and again\u00a0that\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">winning is more important to him than a fair and free democracy<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Demanding state voter files is another attempt to undermine states\u2019 statutory power to manage elections, and the disenfranchisement that the Trump administration could carry out with a master national voter file is deeply concerning.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">A list like this could be used to conduct\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">strategic and widespread purges<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0of eligible voters from voter rolls, including purges that are targeted based on factors like location, age, and gender\u00a0in an effort to\u00a0gain a\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">partisan advantage<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<h2>DOJ and DHS Data Sharing: Impacts on Maryland Immigrant Communities<\/h2>\r\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Given the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s cruel attacks on immigrants and communities of color, regardless of their citizenship status, a potential federal database like this poses even greater risk \u2013 already, the DOJ <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/stateline.org\/2025\/09\/12\/doj-is-sharing-state-voter-roll-lists-with-homeland-security\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">has acknowledged<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0that it is\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">sharing voter information with DHS<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. 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.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span>"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_accordion","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_accordion":{"heading":"F.A.Q.","panels":[{"panel_heading":"Why is Common Cause intervening in the DOJ lawsuit against Maryland?","panel_copy":"Common Cause intervened to prevent the federal government from obtaining Maryland\u2019s non-public voter files. As a formal <b data-path-to-node=\"19\" data-index-in-node=\"192\">party to the lawsuit<\/b>, Common Cause is working alongside state officials to seek a full dismissal of the case, arguing that the DOJ's demand violates state statutory authority and citizen privacy."},{"panel_heading":"How is Maryland Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis protecting voter rolls?","panel_copy":"Administrator <b data-path-to-node=\"20\" data-index-in-node=\"97\">Jared DeMarinis<\/b> has provided detailed legal and technical evidence showing that Maryland\u2019s current system for maintaining voter rolls is secure and complies with the law. He argues that the DOJ\u2019s demand for unredacted data is an unnecessary overreach that threatens the existing protections for Maryland voters."},{"panel_heading":"What sensitive information is contained in the Maryland voter file?","panel_copy":"The voter file demanded by the DOJ includes highly private data such as <b data-path-to-node=\"21\" data-index-in-node=\"143\">full names, home addresses, dates of birth, driver\u2019s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers<\/b>. Common Cause and the State of Maryland contend that exposing this data to a federal \"master file\" puts residents at risk of identity theft and targeted intimidation."},{"panel_heading":"What is the risk of a \"Nationalized\" voter file in the 2026 midterm elections?","panel_copy":"Critics warn that a centralized federal database would allow for <b data-path-to-node=\"22\" data-index-in-node=\"147\">strategic voter purges<\/b>. By cross-referencing state data at a national level, the administration could remove eligible voters from rolls based on age, location, or gender to gain a partisan advantage in the <b data-path-to-node=\"22\" data-index-in-node=\"353\">2026 midterm elections<\/b>."},{"panel_heading":"How does DOJ and DHS data sharing affect voter registration in Maryland?","panel_copy":"The DOJ has admitted to sharing state voter information with the <b data-path-to-node=\"23\" data-index-in-node=\"141\">Department of Homeland Security (DHS)<\/b>. This cooperation raises fears of surveillance and retaliation among immigrant communities and communities of color, creating a \"chilling effect\" that may discourage eligible Marylanders from registering to vote."}]}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_add_component","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_add_component":null},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_take_action","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_take_action":{"heading":"Take Action","button_text":"","manually_curate":false,"action":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_banner","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_banner":{"use_donate_banner":true,"title":"Title [highlight]with highlighting[\/highlight] and additional text.","button":null,"image":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_related_articles","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_related_articles":{"heading":"Updates","button_text":"See all Related Articles","manually_curate":false,"articles":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_resources","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_resources":{"heading":"Related Resources","button_text":"See all Related Resources","manually_curate":false,"resource":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_press","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_press":{"heading":"Press","button_text":"","manually_curate":false,"press":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_events","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_events":{"heading":"Events"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_our_experts","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_our_experts":{"heading":"","manually_curate":false,"people":null}}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.6 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>U.S. v. 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