Legal Setbacks for Trump and Sherrill in Voter Registration Dispute
WHO:
Alternet - President Donald Trump, U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi, New Jersey Governor, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon
NY Post - Mikie Sherrill
WHAT:
Alternet - President Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) has suffered its 18th legal defeat in its nationwide voter data efforts, with the latest ruling stating that the error of non-citizens voting had "no bearing" on the DOJ's right to access voter rolls.
Alternet - U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1960 does not grant the federal government access to state voter registration databases, and the dismissal with prejudice prevents the DOJ from refiling the same claim in district court.
Alternet - The judge emphasized that the Constitution's architects intended to delegate election administration to the states, highlighting the importance of local governments in understanding their constituents' circumstances.
Alternet - President Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) has suffered 18 legal defeats with no wins in its nationwide voter data efforts.
Alternet - A federal judge dismissed the DOJ’s lawsuit seeking New Jersey’s unredacted voter rolls.
Alternet - Approximately 6,600 noncitizens were accidentally added to New Jersey’s voter rolls, with about 400 casting ballots in the 2023 and 2024 elections.
NY Post - The DOJ demanded personal information about the 6,600 non-citizens from New Jersey, including names, dates of birth, addresses, nationalities, and registration dates.
WHERE:
Alternet - New Jersey
WHEN:
NY Post - The DOJ's demand for information was made on July 21.
WHY:
Alternet - Legal experts argue that Trump's DOJ is using the noncitizen voting issue, which affects less than 0.01% of votes cast, as a pretext to gain access to voter databases for potential partisan purges.
Alternet - Trump's DOJ is using the noncitizen voting issue as a pretext to gain access to voter databases for potential partisan purges.
Alternet - Legal experts argue that the DOJ's actions reflect a broader pattern of judicial rejection of Trump's election-related claims.
HOW:
Alternet - The DOJ's lawsuit was dismissed after the judge noted that New Jersey had already provided the DOJ with its publicly available voter list.
Alternet - The judge ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1960 does not grant the federal government access to state voter registration databases.
Alternet - The dismissal with prejudice prevents the DOJ from refiling the same claim in district court, although an appeal is possible.
(UPDATED July 30, 2026 00:18 UTC)
President Trump's Department of Justice has faced its 18th legal defeat regarding its efforts to access voter data, with a recent ruling stating that claims of non-citizen voting had "no bearing" on the DOJ's rights. U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1960 does not allow the federal government to access state voter registration databases, and this dismissal with prejudice means the DOJ cannot refile the same claim. The judge also highlighted that the Constitution's framers intended for election administration to be managed by the states, underscoring the role of local governments in understanding their constituents' needs.
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(UPDATED July 29, 2026 22:28 UTC)
President Trump’s Department of Justice has faced a significant setback, suffering 18 legal defeats without a single win in its efforts to access voter data nationwide, culminating in a federal judge's dismissal of its lawsuit for New Jersey’s unredacted voter rolls. The judge ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1960 does not allow the federal government to access state voter registration databases, which means the DOJ cannot refile this claim in district court, although an appeal remains an option. This legal battle comes in the wake of approximately 6,600 noncitizens being mistakenly added to New Jersey’s voter rolls, with around 400 casting ballots in the 2023 and 2024 elections, prompting the DOJ to demand personal information about these individuals on July 21.