On December 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the state of Illinois alleging that the state has failed to provide information about voter list maintenance procedures and electronic copies of statewide voter rolls. The lawsuit alleges that Illinois and Executive Director of the State Board of Elections Bernadette Matthews violated the Civil Rights Act of 1960 by refusing to produce a current unredacted electronic copy of the state’s voter registration list. Illinois expressed concerns over the rights and privacy of its citizens after the Department of Justice demanded unredacted voter list data, which would contain personally identifiable information, such as partial Social Security numbers.

On July 31, 2026, the court dismissed the Department of Justice’s lawsuit against Illinois for refusing to turn over an unredacted voter list containing every Illinois voter’s private information.

The Constitution is clear: States have authority to administer and regulate elections. Courts have consistently ruled that the Department of Justice’s attempts to commandeer unredacted voter registration lists are unlawful. Free and fair elections are at the heart of our nation’s democracy, and we will not be deterred in our commitment to fighting the federal government’s illegal actions to interfere in and undermine them. Illinois voters can remain confident that our elections are fair and secure.Attorney General Kwame Raoul