Court Cases ›

United States v. Fontes

Voting Rights
Location: Arizona
Status: Ongoing
Last Update: January 14, 2026

What's at Stake

The United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) sued Arizona demanding the release of its full, unredacted voter file, which includes the highly sensitive and personal data of every voter in the state. This suit appears to be part of DOJ’s effort to build a national voter database without congressional authorization, improperly question the validity of state voter rolls, and intimidate eligible voters in Arizona and around the country.

Summary

On January 6, 2026, DOJ sued Arizona, seeking release of the state’s unredacted voter file, which includes voters’ full names, dates of birth, residential addresses, driver’s license numbers, and the last four digits of voters’ Social Security numbers. DOJ claims—without merit—that this disclosure is compelled by the Civil Rights Act of 1960.

DOJ’s lawsuit is one of twenty-four such suits it has brought recently in an apparent effort to create a national voter database without congressional authorization. Eight days after DOJ filed suit, we filed a motion to intervene and accompanying motion to dismiss on behalf Common Cause and three Arizona voters. These Arizona voters include a naturalized citizen and a returning citizen—two categories of voters particularly at risk from DOJ’s lawsuit. Intervenors are represented by the ACLU Voting Rights Project and the ACLU of Arizona.

Legal Documents

Arizona District Court
Where it started
Support our on-going litigation and work in the courts Donate now

Learn More About the Issues in This Case