Attorney General Blanche Says DOJ May Seek Supreme Court Review in Voter Roll Access Disputes

Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that the Justice Department may ask the Supreme Court to intervene in ongoing legal battles over federal access to state voter rolls, following a series of lower-court rulings that have blocked the administration’s efforts.

Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Blanche was asked about the department’s losses in approximately 22 cases challenging its demands for detailed voter registration data. “Absolutely, it’s a possibility,” he replied when pressed on whether the DOJ would take the matter to the high court. He added that the department would “see what happens” as litigation continues but made clear it does not intend to abandon the effort.

The disputes stem from an executive order signed by President Donald Trump directing states to provide voter rolls that include names, dates of birth, residential addresses, driver’s license numbers, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers. The administration has said the data is needed to investigate potential deficiencies or anomalies in election administration, including whether noncitizens appear on voter lists. The Justice Department has filed lawsuits against roughly 30 states and the District of Columbia that declined to comply fully with the requests.

Federal judges in multiple jurisdictions have sided with the states, citing constitutional provisions that place primary authority over elections with state governments and raising concerns about privacy and the breadth of the federal demands. Some Republican-led states have also resisted, arguing that election administration is best handled at the state level.

Blanche framed the department’s actions as consistent with ensuring election integrity, a priority he said Trump campaigned on and that the American people supported. “Election integrity is something that President Trump ran on, and the American people elected him. It’s something that every American should care about,” he said. He argued that the Justice Department should not shy away from investigating issues to confirm that elections are conducted fairly and free of constitutional or legal violations, even at the state level.

Blanche acknowledged that states administer elections and that this will remain the case, but he maintained that the federal government retains a legitimate role under statutes that permit review of voter rolls in appropriate circumstances. “We’re not going to stop doing what I think every American should expect us to do, which is make sure that we have elections that are fair,” he said. “And as that relates to the Department of Justice, that means making sure that there are no constitutional legal violations, even at the state level.”

The comments come amid heightened attention to election administration ahead of the midterm elections. The Justice Department has continued to pursue appeals and additional litigation even after successive district-court setbacks. Blanche’s willingness to consider Supreme Court review signals that the administration views the access question as sufficiently important to seek a definitive national ruling if lower courts continue to rule against it.