Litigation
U.S. v. Galvin
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Common Cause filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice against Massachusetts that demands it hand over its voter file. A district court has granted our motion, meaning Common Cause is now party to the lawsuit, and we are seeking its dismissal.
Common Cause Joins Secretary Bill Galvin to Block Federal Data Seizure
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.
Secretary Bill Galvin’s Resistance to “Nationalizing” Massachusetts Voter Data
Most of these states, including Massachusetts, have resisted pressure from the DOJ to hand over voter data. Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin rejected the demand, saying he has “absolutely no intention” of handing sensitive data over to the federal government, and that the DOJ “has provided no meaningful justification for needing access to every Massachusetts voter’s personally identifiable information.” Now, they’re among the several states being sued for the voter file by the Trump administration. In response, Common Cause has filed motions to intervene in several of these lawsuits. Our motion in Massachusetts was granted.
What’s next in this case?
Moving forward, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 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 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.
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.
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.
DOJ-DHS Information Sharing: The Impact on Massachusetts Immigrant Communities
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 Secretary Bill Galvin refusing to hand over the Massachusetts voter file?
Secretary Bill Galvin has stated he has “absolutely no intention” of releasing sensitive voter data, noting that the DOJ has failed to provide any “meaningful justification” for requiring access to the private information of every Massachusetts voter. He maintains that state law protects this data—including Social Security and driver’s license numbers—to ensure election security and voter privacy.
What sensitive information is at stake in the Massachusetts voter file?
The non-public voter files demanded by the DOJ contain highly personal data: full names, residential addresses, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers. Critics argue that centralizing this data in a federal database creates massive privacy risks and could be weaponized for political purposes
How does a national voter database impact the 2026 midterm elections?
Experts warn that a “master voter file” could be used to facilitate strategic voter purges ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. By analyzing voter demographics at a national scale, the administration could remove eligible voters from rolls in key areas to gain a partisan advantage, undermining the fairness of the democratic process.
Is the DOJ sharing Massachusetts voter data with the DHS?
In March 2026, the DOJ acknowledged in court that it plans to share state voter registration data with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for citizenship verification. This has sparked major concerns about voter intimidation, as such data sharing may discourage immigrants and communities of color from registering to vote due to fears of federal surveillance
