DELAWARE - A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice seeking access to Delaware's voter registration database, following efforts by state election officials and the American Civil Liberties Union to block the request.
U.S. District Judge Richard Andrews granted motions to dismiss the case Tuesday, Nov. 10, ruling that the federal government did not have grounds under the Civil Rights Act of 1960 to demand Delaware's complete voter registration list.
The lawsuit, United States v. Albence, was filed against Delaware State Election Commissioner Anthony Albence after state officials declined to provide the federal government with the requested voter information.
The DOJ sought access to the state's unredacted voter registration database, including personal information such as driver's license numbers and Social Security information.
The federal government argued that it was entitled to the records under the Civil Rights Act of 1960.Â
The organizations sought to prevent the federal government from obtaining the state's complete voter registration database, arguing that releasing the information could jeopardize voters' privacy.
The federal court granted their motion to intervene in February 2026, allowing the organizations and individual voter to participate as defendants and seek dismissal of the case.
The ACLU also raised concerns that the DOJ's efforts were connected to a broader attempt to establish a national voter database without congressional authorization.
In the Nov. 10 ruling, Andrews determined that Delaware's voter registration list was not a record that the justice department could demand under the cited provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1960.
The judge granted the motions to dismiss filed by Albence and the intervening defendants. The court also dismissed the DOJ's motion seeking production of the records as moot.
