Federal Court Rejects Trump Administration Bid to Access Connecticut Voter Information

Hartford, Conn. – On Friday, July 17, 2026, a federal court rejected the Trump administration’s efforts to force Connecticut to hand over the state’s voter registration list, protecting the privacy of Connecticut voters from federal overreach.

In United States v. Thomas, the ACLU Foundation of Connecticut represented intervenors Common Cause and Claire Ewing, who moved to dismiss the lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley granted the motion to dismiss and denied the United States' motion to compel the production of Connecticut’s Statewide Voter Registration List (SVRL). This ruling aligns with decisions from courts across the country that have repeatedly rejected similar demands from the Department of Justice.

“Time and time again, this administration has used the courts to push their agenda. This time they tried to gain access to our state’s voter data, putting our residents’ privacy at risk,” said Dan Barrett, Legal Director for the ACLU Foundation of Connecticut. “As Connecticut’s primaries are only weeks away, with the midterm elections soon after, this ruling comes at time when election integrity matters most. This decision reaffirms what has already been true for years: Connecticut’s elections are safe and secure. In this state, every voter has the right to cast their ballot and know that their privacy will be respected in the process.”

The federal government filed suit in January 2026, claiming authority under Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 to demand the Connecticut’s voter rolls, and the name, date of birth, home address, and driver’s license or Social Security number of every registered voter in the state.

“This victory makes it 16-0 in stopping the federal government from seizing your private voter data,” said Maryam Jazini Dorcheh, Vice President of Litigation at Common Cause. “The record is clear: states run elections —not the president. We won’t stop fighting to protect voters’ privacy.”

The Court rejected this demand. It found that Connecticut’s voter registration list is a record created by state officials and not one that falls into official’s possession from outside sources, meaning the state had no obligation to preserve the list or produce it to the federal government under Title III.

“When the federal government targeted this state’s voter data, we stood up and the courts stood with us,” said David McGuire, Executive Director of the ACLU Foundation of Connecticut. “This administration is testing how much power it can seize before someone puts a stop to it. In Connecticut, we blocked this attempt and we stand ready to push back against anymore unconstitutional power grabs.”

Friday’s ruling ensures the private information of every registered voter in this state stays where it belongs: with those state officials who administer elections, not the federal government.

Read the order dismissing the case and denying the motion to compel the production of Connecticut’s SVRL here.

Learn more about U.S. v. Thomas here.