--- title: "Judge dismisses Trump administration's voter data lawsuit" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/judge-dismisses-trump-administrations-voter-data-lawsuit" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/judge-dismisses-trump-administrations-voter-data-lawsuit" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/judge-dismisses-trump-administrations-voter-data-lawsuit.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/judge-dismisses-trump-administrations-voter-data-lawsuit" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-22T22:45:35.820Z" source_reported: "2026-09-22T21:34:56.142Z" updated: "2026-09-22T22:45:35.820Z" trust_score: 50 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-22T22:30:45.062586+00:00" --- # Judge dismisses Trump administration's voter data lawsuit *Federal judge rejects DOJ's claim for state voter registration information, marking 25th court loss.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 50 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to a named body, and two independent outlets covered the story. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. The reporting includes quotes from affected parties and names specific details. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. The language used is measured and proportionate, with no sensationalism. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - A federal judge in Washington dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit seeking the state's voter registration data. - This marks the 25th consecutive court loss for the Justice Department in its nationwide effort to obtain state voter rolls. - The judge rejected the Justice Department's argument that federal law grants the attorney general authority to demand the voter list. - Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs stated the DOJ lacks the authority to interfere with state election administration. A federal judge in Washington has dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit seeking the state's voter registration data. This ruling represents the 25th consecutive court defeat for the Justice Department in its nationwide effort to obtain state voter rolls. The Justice Department had argued that the information was necessary to ensure states comply with federal voting laws. U.S. District Judge Kymberly Evanson rejected the DOJ's central argument that Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 grants the attorney general the authority to demand the statewide voter list. The judge held that Washington's voter database does not fall under the statute's purview because state officials create and maintain it. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs stated that the DOJ does not have the authority to interfere with state election administration and that the court upheld the state's constitutional authority to administer elections. ## Disagreement on the number of lawsuits filed CBS News reported that the Trump administration has filed 31 lawsuits seeking states' voter data. In contrast, Democracy Docket stated that the Justice Department has lost 25 cases in its nationwide campaign to force states to hand over unredacted voter registration data. ## What the coverage left out None of the reports printed below mention the specific federal law, Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960, that the judge rejected the DOJ's argument on. The full reports from Democracy Docket and CBS News do mention this law, but these details were not included in the digests provided for the other outlets. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 57% (4) - Centre: 43% (3) - Right: 0% (0) 1 of 8 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-22T22:30:45.062586+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-22T23:00:31.805Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Reports from the left-rated outlets led on the dismissal of the lawsuit and the fact that this was the 25th consecutive court loss for the Trump administration's Justice Department. Democracy Docket highlighted that the judge rejected the DOJ's legal theory and dismissed the case with prejudice. It also noted that the ruling leaves the DOJ 0 for 25 in federal district courts in its effort to compel states to surrender complete voter files. Idaho Capital Sun and washingtonstatestandard.com reported that the judge tossed the lawsuit in line with many rulings across the country, and that this marks the 25th case the DOJ has lost in its push to access sensitive voter information. The Seattle Times also reported on the 25th court loss in a row for the Trump administration as it seeks private voter data from states. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports focused on the number of lawsuits filed by the Trump administration and the outcome in Washington. CBS News stated that the Trump administration has mounted efforts in nearly all 50 states to obtain their complete voter rolls and has lost 25 of those cases. It also listed the states from which the Justice Department's lawsuits for unredacted voter rolls have been dismissed. KUOW reported that the Justice Department has now lost more than two dozen similar cases across the country. ### Right No separate framing summary. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 3 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Idaho Capital Sun](https://idahocapitalsun.com/2026/09/22/repub/trump-administrations-wa-voter-roll-lawsuit-dismissed) — Trump administration’s WA voter roll lawsuit dismissed - [Krem2 News](https://krem.com/article/news/politics/national-politics/washington-federal-judge-dismisses-trump-administration-request-for-state-voter-rolls-says-demand-violates-federal-law/293-db647d6d-d5e3-4df1-933c-79fd8e7a3f62) — Washington federal judge dismisses Trump administration request for state voter rolls, says demand 'violates federal law' - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/judge-dismisses-doj-lawsuit-seeking-wa-voter-records) — DOJ loses 25th lawsuit seeking voter records as judge tosses WA case - [Democracy Docket](https://democracydocket.com/news-alerts/washington-state-hands-trump-doj-its-25th-straight-voter-roll-loss) — Washington state hands Trump DOJ its 25th straight voter roll loss - [Dailyfly - Lewis Clark Valley News](https://dailyfly.com/2026/09/22/trump-administrations-wa-voter-roll-lawsuit-dismissed) — Trump administration’s WA voter roll lawsuit dismissed - [washingtonstatestandard.com](https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/09/22/trump-administrations-wa-voter-roll-lawsuit-dismissed) — Trump administration’s WA voter roll lawsuit dismissed • Washington State Standard - [CBS News](https://cbsnews.com/news/trump-lawsuits-state-voter-rolls-justice-department) — The Trump administration has filed 31 lawsuits seeking states' voter data. Here's where they stand. - [KUOW](https://kuow.org/governing/2026-09-22/trump-administrations-washington-voter-roll-lawsuit-dismissed) — Trump administration’s Washington voter roll lawsuit dismissed ## Questions **What was the outcome of the Trump administration's lawsuit in Washington?** A federal judge in Washington dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit seeking the state's voter registration data. This decision marks the 25th consecutive court loss for the Justice Department in its efforts to obtain state voter rolls. **Why did the Justice Department want Washington's voter data?** The Justice Department argued that the information was needed to ensure states comply with federal voting laws. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs stated that the DOJ does not have the authority to interfere with state election administration. **What federal law was at the centre of the judge's decision?** The judge rejected the DOJ's argument that Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 grants the attorney general authority to demand the voter list. The judge held that the voter database did not fall under the statute's purview. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/judge-dismisses-trump-administrations-voter-data-lawsuit. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Judge dismisses Trump administration's voter data lawsuit", https://mediabias.news/politics/judge-dismisses-trump-administrations-voter-data-lawsuit