Fighting Voter Suppression
Common Cause v. U.S. Department of Justice
The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an unprecedented and unlawful effort to invade the privacy of millions of American voters and threaten their right to vote. It has demanded that every state and the District of Columbia turn over their entire voter database, including Social Security Numbers, political party affiliation, and voter participation history. And at least a dozen states have complied, submitting their voters’ information for federal review. But the Department of Justice has no authority to dictate when a voter registration should be cancelled, and we are suing to stop the federal government’s overreach and ensure that voters’ information remains secure and free from unlawful interference.
Status: Ongoing
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Massachusetts
Sep 2026
Fighting Voter Suppression
League of Women Voters of Massachusetts v. Trump
On March 31, 2026, President Trump issued a sweeping Executive Order titled “Ensuring Citizen Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections,” seeking once again to seize control of election administration from Congress and the states. The Order directs federal agencies to compile lists of U.S. citizens and transmit them to states before every election, directs the U.S. Postal Service — an independent agency established by Congress — to create a list of “approved” mail voters, and instructs USPS to refuse to deliver ballots from voters not on that federally created list. If implemented, the Order would threaten the ability of millions of eligible citizens to cast their ballots, particularly military members, overseas citizens, the elderly, recently naturalized citizens, and voters with disabilities who rely on mail voting.
Washington, D.C.
Oct 2025
Fighting Voter Suppression
League of Women Voters Education Fund v. Trump
On March 25, 2025, in a sweeping and unprecedented Executive Order, President Trump attempted to usurp the power to regulate federal elections from Congress and the States. Among other things, the Executive Order directs the Election Assistance Commission—an agency that Congress specifically established to be bipartisan and independent—to require voters to show a passport or other citizenship documentation in order to register to vote in federal elections. If implemented, the Executive Order would threaten the ability of millions of eligible Americans to register and vote and upend the administration of federal elections.
On behalf of leading voter registration organizations and advocacy organizations, the ACLU and co-counsel filed a lawsuit to block the Executive Order as an unconstitutional power grab.
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103 Fighting Voter Suppression Cases
South Dakota
Aug 2026
Fighting Voter Suppression
League of Women Voters of South Dakota v. Johnson
South Dakota enacted a law in March 2026 that requires new voters to provide unnecessary documentation of their U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. The state has rushed implementation of the law, and in doing so, trampled over voters’ rights: South Dakota officials have imposed burdens above and beyond what the statute requires and have failed to give voters accurate information about their registration status or opportunities to fix any issues. The League of Women Voters of South Dakota and Jaysen Hill, an individual voter, have challenged the state’s administration of its new requirement, seeking to ensure the state complies with federal law.
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South Dakota
Aug 2026
Fighting Voter Suppression
League of Women Voters of South Dakota v. Johnson
South Dakota enacted a law in March 2026 that requires new voters to provide unnecessary documentation of their U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. The state has rushed implementation of the law, and in doing so, trampled over voters’ rights: South Dakota officials have imposed burdens above and beyond what the statute requires and have failed to give voters accurate information about their registration status or opportunities to fix any issues. The League of Women Voters of South Dakota and Jaysen Hill, an individual voter, have challenged the state’s administration of its new requirement, seeking to ensure the state complies with federal law.
Maine
Aug 2026
Fighting Voter Suppression
United States v. Bellows (Amicus)
Representing the ACLU of Maine, the ACLU Voting Rights Project and the ACLU of Maine filed an amicus brief in a federal lawsuit over the federal government’s demand that Maine turn over its entire voter registration rolls, including with voters’ sensitive personal data such as drivers’ license numbers and partial social security numbers.
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Maine
Aug 2026
Fighting Voter Suppression
United States v. Bellows (Amicus)
Representing the ACLU of Maine, the ACLU Voting Rights Project and the ACLU of Maine filed an amicus brief in a federal lawsuit over the federal government’s demand that Maine turn over its entire voter registration rolls, including with voters’ sensitive personal data such as drivers’ license numbers and partial social security numbers.
Washington, D.C.
Aug 2026
Fighting Voter Suppression
Voting Rights
United States v. Evans
Representing Common Cause and two D.C. voters, the ACLU Voting Rights Project has intervened in a federal lawsuit over the federal government’s demand that D.C. turn over its entire voter registration roll, including voters’ sensitive personal data such as drivers’ license numbers and partial social security numbers.
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Washington, D.C.
Aug 2026
Fighting Voter Suppression
Voting Rights
United States v. Evans
Representing Common Cause and two D.C. voters, the ACLU Voting Rights Project has intervened in a federal lawsuit over the federal government’s demand that D.C. turn over its entire voter registration roll, including voters’ sensitive personal data such as drivers’ license numbers and partial social security numbers.
Colorado
Aug 2026
Fighting Voter Suppression
United States v. Griswold
Representing Common Cause and two Colorado voters, the ACLU Voting Rights Project and ACLU of Colorado have filed a motion to intervene in a federal lawsuit over the federal government’s demand that Colorado turn over its entire voter registration rolls, including voters’ sensitive personal data such as drivers’ license numbers and partial social security numbers.
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Colorado
Aug 2026
Fighting Voter Suppression
United States v. Griswold
Representing Common Cause and two Colorado voters, the ACLU Voting Rights Project and ACLU of Colorado have filed a motion to intervene in a federal lawsuit over the federal government’s demand that Colorado turn over its entire voter registration rolls, including voters’ sensitive personal data such as drivers’ license numbers and partial social security numbers.
Illinois
Aug 2026
Fighting Voter Suppression
United States v. Matthews
The Department of Justice sued the Illinois Board of Elections, demanding the state produce its full, unredacted voter file, which contains highly sensitive and personal data on every voter in the state. This suit appears to be part of the federal government’s efforts to build a national voter database without congressional authorization and to improperly question the validity of state voter rolls.
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Illinois
Aug 2026
Fighting Voter Suppression
United States v. Matthews
The Department of Justice sued the Illinois Board of Elections, demanding the state produce its full, unredacted voter file, which contains highly sensitive and personal data on every voter in the state. This suit appears to be part of the federal government’s efforts to build a national voter database without congressional authorization and to improperly question the validity of state voter rolls.