Justice Department sues Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane for refusing to provide voter rolls

The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division sued Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane on April 1, 2026, demanding that Idaho turn over its complete statewide voter registration database, including partial Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers. The lawsuit marked the DOJ's 30th action against states (plus D.C.) for not complying with federal demands for voter data. McGrane had initially appeared willing to cooperate when the DOJ first requested Idaho's voter rolls in September 2025, but the state reversed course in February 2026, with McGrane citing "no clear legal duty" to comply and pointing to Idaho state privacy law. The DOJ invoked the Civil Rights Act of 1960 Title III and the National Voter Registration Act as the legal basis for its demands. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, said the lawsuit is part of the department's effort to ensure states comply with federal voter data requests. Federal judges have already dismissed similar DOJ lawsuits in California, Michigan, and Oregon, while 17 Republican-led states have agreed to share voter data with the federal government.