In brief
In a notable legal decision, U.S. District Judge Ashley Royal dismissed a lawsuit from the U.S. Justice Department that aimed to obtain voter information from Georgia. The ruling highlighted that the case should have been filed in Atlanta, not in Macon. While the dismissal is without prejudice, allowing for the Justice Department to refile, it brings to light ongoing tensions over voter data access and election security practices in Georgia. State officials, including Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, have expressed commitment to following state law, emphasizing the protection of voter privacy.
ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge in Georgia on Friday dismissed a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit seeking voter information from the state, ruling the federal government had sued in the wrong city. U.S. District Judge Ashley Royal found the government should have sued Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in Atlanta, rather than in Macon, where the secretary of state also has an office. The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, indicating that the Justice Department can refile it. The department has so far filed lawsuits against 24 states and the District of Columbia for the same reason. They are seeking detailed voter data, including personal information such as dates of birth and Social Security numbers. Previous cases, including one in California, have been dismissed on privacy grounds. Raffensperger has been a rare Republican to resist demands for voter data, citing Georgia law that protects the confidentiality of voter information unless specific criteria are met. He has stated he shared only the public part of the voter roll and information about how Georgia addresses outdated registrations. The refusal to comply with federal requests for records has led to criticism from some Republican lawmakers, especially as Raffensperger runs for reelection. The situation underscores ongoing tensions surrounding election security and data privacy in Georgia.
