Federal Judge Dismisses US Justice Department's Voter Data Lawsuit Against Georgia in Wrong City
A federal judge in Atlanta has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the US Justice Department seeking voter information from Georgia, ruling that the federal government had sued in the wrong city. The lawsuit was part of the department's effort to collect detailed voting data from 25 states and the District of Columbia.
The lawsuit sought information on voters' dates of birth, driver's license numbers, and Social Security numbers, but US District Judge Ashley Royal ruled that the correct venue for the lawsuit was in Atlanta, where Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is based. The judge dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice, allowing the department to refile it.
Raffensperger has been a vocal critic of the Justice Department's demands, arguing that Georgia law prohibits the release of voters' confidential personal information unless certain qualifications are met. He claims that the federal government hasn't met those conditions and has shared only public information about voter rolls.
The issue has become an important part of Raffensperger's 2026 gubernatorial campaign, with many Republicans still harboring a grudge against him for refusing to comply with former President Donald Trump's demand in 2020. A state Senate committee even voted on a resolution calling on Raffensperger to hand over the data, but the dismissal of the lawsuit is likely to prolong the dispute.
The Justice Department has filed similar lawsuits against 24 other states and the District of Columbia, citing concerns about election security. However, some federal judges have rejected these lawsuits due to privacy concerns. The department claims that the states are violating federal law by refusing to provide voter lists and information.
Raffensperger's stance on the issue is seen as a test case for Republican lawmakers in Georgia, with many backing Lt. Gov. Burt Jones over Raffensperger for the governor nomination. Trump has endorsed Jones, who signed a certificate declaring himself one of Georgia's "duly elected and qualified" electors.
The ongoing dispute highlights the tension between state election officials and federal authorities on issues of voting rights and security. As Raffensperger continues to defend his position, the fate of the lawsuit and its implications for Georgia's elections remain uncertain.
A federal judge in Atlanta has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the US Justice Department seeking voter information from Georgia, ruling that the federal government had sued in the wrong city. The lawsuit was part of the department's effort to collect detailed voting data from 25 states and the District of Columbia.
The lawsuit sought information on voters' dates of birth, driver's license numbers, and Social Security numbers, but US District Judge Ashley Royal ruled that the correct venue for the lawsuit was in Atlanta, where Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is based. The judge dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice, allowing the department to refile it.
Raffensperger has been a vocal critic of the Justice Department's demands, arguing that Georgia law prohibits the release of voters' confidential personal information unless certain qualifications are met. He claims that the federal government hasn't met those conditions and has shared only public information about voter rolls.
The issue has become an important part of Raffensperger's 2026 gubernatorial campaign, with many Republicans still harboring a grudge against him for refusing to comply with former President Donald Trump's demand in 2020. A state Senate committee even voted on a resolution calling on Raffensperger to hand over the data, but the dismissal of the lawsuit is likely to prolong the dispute.
The Justice Department has filed similar lawsuits against 24 other states and the District of Columbia, citing concerns about election security. However, some federal judges have rejected these lawsuits due to privacy concerns. The department claims that the states are violating federal law by refusing to provide voter lists and information.
Raffensperger's stance on the issue is seen as a test case for Republican lawmakers in Georgia, with many backing Lt. Gov. Burt Jones over Raffensperger for the governor nomination. Trump has endorsed Jones, who signed a certificate declaring himself one of Georgia's "duly elected and qualified" electors.
The ongoing dispute highlights the tension between state election officials and federal authorities on issues of voting rights and security. As Raffensperger continues to defend his position, the fate of the lawsuit and its implications for Georgia's elections remain uncertain.
just wondering how many ppl really care about this voter data stuff... seems like they're more worried about the optics than actual election security 
meanwhile, raffensperger is just trying to do his job without some admin breathing down his neck 
the US Justice Department is trying to get voter info from 25 states, but they got it wrong about where to file the lawsuit... like, isn't that a thing that happens? 
and now Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger gets to keep his data private, which is cool I guess 
because he thinks Georgia law protects that info. 
and now it looks like Lt. Gov. Burt Jones might be the new candidate for governor... I wonder if Raffensperger will even run again 
... it's not like they're hiding anything from the feds... meanwhile, trump's endorsing this new guy burt jones who's all for it 
. And what's with all these states being asked to share their secrets? Doesn't anyone trust their voters to do the right thing? 
. And Raffensperger's stance is basically saying "hold my beer" – good luck with that 
. This whole thing just smells like another example of the government trying to control everything 
I mean, I get why they want it, but also, shouldn't we be protecting people's private info? 
It just seems like there's a big gap between the state and federal governments on how to handle this stuff. Like, Georgia is all "nope, can't share that info" and the feds are all "but you have to!" 
And now this judge is saying it was filed in the wrong city... what's the deal? 
Does this mean Raffensperger gets to win or something? 
i feel bad for raffensperger, it's like he's caught between a rock and a hard place. some ppl in georgia are still salty about him refusing to give trump what he wanted back in 2020, but others are like yeah brad stand up for yourself 
. I mean, it's not surprising that some people are still mad at him from 2020, but this is a whole new level of drama 
. On the other hand, I do think it's cool that Raffensperger is standing up for what he believes in and trying to protect voters' info... even if it means going against the feds 
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he's like the hero of voter rights or somethin' 
anyway, gotta keep an eye on this, it's def become a big part of his campaign and it's gonna be interesting to see how it plays out 
. And the fact that Raffensperger stood up for Georgia's rights and refused to comply with their demands is a total win 
! He's showing us that we shouldn't just blindly follow the federal government's orders without questioning them.
. And I say, let's trust our state officials to do their job! They're the ones closest to the voters and know what's best for Georgia.
. We need to stand up for our rights as citizens and demand accountability from those in power 
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i feel bad for brad raffensperger, he's been through so much already, first trump was asking him to hand over sensitive info and now this lawsuit 
but at the same time, i can understand why georgia is being cautious with their voter data, they don't want people's personal info getting out in the open 
... I mean, can't they just agree on something? It feels like we're right back in the days of Bush v Gore all over again 
. And Raffensperger is standing strong on this, saying Georgia's laws protect voter privacy. It's not about being anti-federal or anything, it's just common sense 
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The feds wanted all this super personal info from voters but the judge said it was the wrong city 
. I think this is gonna be a big deal for Brad Raffensperger 
. I mean, I get that the feds are trying to keep elections secure but do they really need all this info? 
. It's also interesting to see how this whole thing has become part of his 2026 gubernatorial campaign 
!
! Can't believe they sued in the wrong city, sounds like a 'birth'-right mistake 
