The Trump administration is pursuing an unprecedented effort to create comprehensive lists of citizens eligible to vote in each state for the upcoming midterm election. According to Department of Justice filings in ongoing litigation, the administration has pushed back its original September 4 deadline and now plans to provide 48-hour notice before launching a portal for state election officials, rather than meeting the 60-day advance requirement mandated by executive order.
The initiative stems from an executive order signed on March 31 directing the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Social Security Administration to compile “State Citizenship Lists” for each state and transmit them to state officials no fewer than 60 days before federal elections. A lower court had previously blocked implementation in 23 states and Washington, D.C., but the Supreme Court stayed that injunction late last month, allowing the plan to proceed.
Multiple legal challenges have been filed against the proposal. Voting rights organizations, including Protect Democracy and the Electronic Privacy Information Center, argue the administration’s plan to share personal data between agencies and distribute it to states violates federal privacy laws, including the Privacy Act and Social Security Act. Critics contend the citizenship data available to the federal government is inaccurate and outdated, particularly for individuals who have moved, changed names, naturalized as adults, or became citizens as minors through parental naturalization.
Lawyers involved in the litigation characterize the delayed timeline as problematic, noting it will compress implementation closer to Election Day. Democratic party groups that challenged the original executive order have requested the court mandate immediate updates on implementation plans. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has separately issued a federal procurement request seeking vendors to compile voter rolls and voting history from all 50 states and territories to support fraud detection activities.
Historically, the federal government has not attempted to create a comprehensive citizen registry. State election authorities, not federal agencies, maintain voter lists under the Constitution’s framework of state control over elections. Neither the Department of Justice nor Department of Homeland Security responded to requests for comment on the initiative’s status or timeline.
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