A federal judge dismissed the U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger over the state’s voter rolls.
The court said Wednesday the federal law does not require the state to turn over sensitive statewide voter registration information, including driver’s license information, Social Security numbers and dates of birth.
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia agreed found federal law does not require Georgia to provide the sensitive information sought by the DOJ and does not override the state law requiring that information to remain confidential.
The judge said Georgia could comply with federal law by providing a redacted voter registration list while withholding confidential voter information.
Raffensperger described the lawsuit dismissal as a major legal victory for voters in the state.
“I will always protect the sensitive personal information of Georgians, in accordance with the law and the Constitution,” Raffensperger said. “I will not give in and break the law for anyone. Period.”
The secretary of state’s office said the court found that “neither the National Voter Registration Act nor the Help America Vote Act requires disclosure of the sensitive information sought by the federal government. Additionally, the Court highlighted that Georgia’s list maintenance efforts demonstrated the Secretary’s compliance with federal election law.”
“Georgia has worked with our federal partners and will continue to do so, but cooperation does not mean ignoring the law or surrendering the privacy rights of Georgia voters,” Raffensperger said. “We stood our ground because the law was clear, and we are thankful the Court agreed.”
The U.S. Department of Justice hasn’t yet responded to the court ruling.