Victory for Washington State Voters: Federal Court Dismisses DOJ Lawsuit Seeking Private Voter Data

SEATTLE — In a victory for voters, a federal judge dismissed the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit seeking Washington state’s complete voter file, which contains voters’ driver’s license numbers, partial Social Security numbers and other private information.

Common Cause and Washington Conservation Action Education Fund (WCAEF) filed successful motions to intervene and dismiss in United States v. Hobbs, a lawsuit brought by DOJ against Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs for refusing to provide the department with the state’s unredacted voter file.

Common Cause and WCAEF intervened in the lawsuit to protect Washington state voters’ privacy and are represented by Campaign Legal Center, the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, and the Law Office of Amanda Beane.

“This decision is a critical victory for voter privacy and the rule of law. Washington voters deserve confidence that their sensitive data is safeguarded from federal overreach,” said Renata O’Donnell, senior legal counsel for strategic litigation at Campaign Legal Center. “Our Constitution is clear: The states and Congress have the power to set the rules around our elections, not the president or the executive branch — including the DOJ. We are proud to have secured this win on behalf of Washington voters.”

“This victory makes it 25-0 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.”

“We're proud of the work we've done to make Washington's voting system a model for others,” said Lennon Bronsema, Washington Conservation Action’s vice president of campaigns. “A strong democracy, where the voting process is accessible and secure, is necessary to address our most critical environmental challenges and shape policies to meet community needs. This decision makes it crystal clear that in Washington, you can register to vote without fear.”

"The Department of Justice has filed lawsuits against 30 states and Washington, DC, seeking sensitive data, including voters' drivers' license and partial Social Security numbers. As of today, 25 federal courts have reached the same conclusion: DOJ is not entitled to collect this information," said Eileen O'Connor, senior counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice. "This is a victory for Washington state voters."

Last year, the Department of Justice requested Washington state’s complete, unredacted voter file. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs replied that he couldn’t comply pursuant to Washington law. In response, the Justice Department filed suit in December 2025.

United States v. Hobbs is one of more than 30 lawsuits the Justice Department has filed nationwide seeking copies of voter rolls including driver’s license numbers and partial social security numbers in 30 states and the District of Columbia. The DOJ has now lost 25 of those cases in federal district courts and has not won any.

In addition to Washington state, Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause and Brennan Center are working together against the Justice Department’s lawsuits seeking voter files from states across the country.

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The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center advances democracy through law. We safeguard the freedom to vote, defend voters’ right to know who is spending money to influence elections, and work to ensure public trust in our elected officials.

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