Wisconsin voter records: Court tosses Trump Administration lawsuit

Judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit over Wisconsin voter rolls

A federal judge dismissed the DOJ’s lawsuit seeking Wisconsin’s unredacted voter rolls, blocking access to Social Security and driver’s license numbers amid privacy concerns.

MADISON, Wis. - A Wisconsin federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice over access to the state’s voter registration lists.

What we know:

The ruling means the federal government will not get access to Wisconsin’s unredacted voter registration information, including Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers.

The lawsuit, filed by the DOJ in 2025, sought a complete copy of the state’s private voter list. Similar fights are happening in other states across the country.

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Supporters of the ruling said it protects voter privacy, while others said the lawsuit would have helped ensure Wisconsin’s voter registration lists are accurate, up to date and limited to eligible U.S. citizens.

What they're saying:

"Elections shouldn’t be a political weapon or political tool," said Doug Poland, director of litigation at Law Forward.

Poland said there were concerns about how the information could be used if it were turned over to the federal government.

"The concern is that information could be made available to other federal government branches or entities that could use it for different purposes," Poland said. "We want people to have confidence in elections and if they can be confident – that their personal, confident information isn’t going to be made widely available. They are much more likely to register to vote."

The judge ruled a voter registration list is not a record subject to Title III, which allows the federal government to demand certain records and papers that come into the state’s possession.

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"Again and again, Wisconsin’s election system has been shown to work well," said Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul. "Today’s ruling making clear that federal law does not entitle the federal government to the voter data it has demanded is good for Wisconsin voters."

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Devin Remiker had similar sentiments in a statement sent to FOX6.

"Wisconsinites are now safe from having their privacy invaded and sensitive personal information handed over to the out-of-control Trump administration," he said. "We are fortunate to have Josh Kaul as our Attorney General to fend off even further attempts by Trump to hijack our elections and this latest close-call shows how important it is to re-elect him as Attorney General this November."

The other side:

Earlier this year, the Republican Party of Wisconsin filed in support of the federal lawsuit, urging the court to allow the DOJ’s investigation of voter rolls. The party said the review was needed to ensure voter registration lists are accurate, up to date and limited to eligible U.S. citizens.

"Wisconsin voters have a right to elections they can trust," WisGOP Chairman Brian Schimming said in a statement to FOX6. "The DOJ is trying to do its job under longstanding federal civil rights and election laws. We will always stand with them and protect Wisconsin elections. The fight does not end here, and we must continue pushing for justice."

Dig deeper:

FOX6 reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice but has not heard back.

The DOJ can appeal the judge’s ruling within the next 60 days.