DOJ files lawsuit over ‘inaccurate’ voter rolls in North Carolina
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against North Carolina and its elections board for allegedly failing to maintain accurate voter registration rolls, claiming this violates federal law. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon emphasized the DOJ’s commitment to ensuring election integrity ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The lawsuit points to issues with a state voter registration form that does not require new voters to provide essential identification information, potentially affecting the accuracy of voter lists. This legal action follows concerns raised by Republican groups about improperly added registrations, including 225,000 voters. The case underscores the DOJ’s stance that clean voter rolls are essential for secure elections.The lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, and it names the State Board of Elections and its members as defendants.
Trump DOJ pushes North Carolina to clean up ‘inaccurate’ voter rolls in new lawsuit
The Justice Department sued North Carolina and its elections board on Tuesday, accusing officials of failing to maintain accurate voter rolls in violation of federal law.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, appointed by President Donald Trump to head up the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, said in a statement Tuesday evening that the agency “will not hesitate to file suit against jurisdictions that maintain inaccurate voter registration rolls.” The move marks the latest legal salvo aimed at bolstering election integrity ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, the 19-page suit echoes concerns raised last year by state and national Republican groups that challenged 225,000 registrations tied to the flawed form ahead of the November 2024 election. The DOJ says those voters were improperly added in violation of the Help America Vote Act.
“Clean voter rolls are the foundation of secure elections and a prerequisite for any subsequent election integrity policy debate,” a DOJ official told the Washington Examiner. “It’s not acceptable for states to phone it in when it comes to obeying basic regulations.”
At the heart of the case is a state voter registration form that the DOJ says sidesteps federal safeguards by not requiring new voters to provide either a driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. In its complaint about the North Carolina State Board of Elections protocol, the DOJ points out that the fields required under HAVA “are not identified in the video as required fields that must be completed.”
The complaint also cites Trump’s March 25 executive order on safeguarding elections, noting that “only eligible citizens can vote in elections.” The lawsuit names the State Board of Elections, its five individual members, and new director Sam Hayes, who took over after the Republican-controlled board ousted former director Karen Brinson Bell.
That leadership change followed GOP gains through 2024’s Senate Bill 382, which shifted appointment powers from Gov. Josh Stein (D-NC) to Republican State Auditor Dave Boliek. Stein is challenging SB 382 in court, though the state Supreme Court ruled Friday for it to remain in effect during the appeal.
The new federal case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Louise Wood Flanagan, a former President George W. Bush appointee.
NORTH CAROLINA PULLS 747,000 PEOPLE OFF OF VOTER REGISTRATION ROLLS
The voter form issue also played a key role in a six-month legal fight over a state Supreme Court seat. Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin challenged over 65,000 ballots after narrowly losing to Democrat Allison Riggs.
A federal judge declined to intervene, and Griffin ultimately conceded.
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