In a ruling on Nov. 2, Federal District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan denied the DOJ’s motion for a stay pending appeal in Common Cause and individual voters’ ongoing lawsuit challenging the federal agency’s attempts to obtain sensitive voter data and exercise control over states’ election processes. In response, Common Cause and its legal counsel issued the following statement:
“Once again, the Trump administration’s efforts to hijack the elections have been stopped by a federal court. As today’s decision reaffirms, the executive branch has no business meddling in how states manage their voter rolls—and no legal authority to do so. As they get increasingly desperate, the Trump administration keeps trying new twists on the same plan to meddle in November’s elections, and the courts keep saying ‘no.’ States have the constitutional authority to run elections, not the President.
“In American democracy, voters choose their elected leaders, not the other way around. Today’s decision deals yet another blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to gerrymander the voter rolls. The Department of Justice has no authority to — and no legitimate purpose for —consolidating voter data.
“Voters can cast their ballots this November with confidence that their personal information is protected.”
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Common Cause is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nationwide, non-profit, non-partisan organization with over a half-million members, dedicated to defending individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution. It works through litigation, lobbying, and community empowerment to protect freedom of speech, privacy, and civil rights.
The American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia (ACLU-D.C.) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with more than 10,000 members and supporters. Throughout its 65-year history, the ACLU-D.C. has advocated for the constitutional rights of people who live in, work in, or visit the nation’s capital.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a nonpartisan legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions.
The Democracy and Rule of Law Clinic at Harvard Law School works to safeguard the key features of a democratic society through a variety of tools, including impact litigation, policy advocacy, and strategic partnerships.
Protect Democracy is a cross-ideological non-profit group dedicated to defeating the authoritarian threat, building more resilient democratic institutions, and protecting our freedom and liberal democracy.
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