Oregon — A federal judge has tentatively sided with Oregon in a legal fight over voter privacy, dealing a setback to the Trump administration’s efforts to obtain sensitive voter information from states.
U.S. District Court Judge Mustafa Kasubhai issued a tentative ruling from the bench granting Oregon’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed last September by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Trump administration. The case sought to compel Oregon to turn over private voter data, including full dates of birth, partial Social Security numbers, and complete driver’s license numbers.
“This is a big win for Oregonians’ privacy and the rule of law,” said Tobias Read, Oregon’s Secretary of State. Read said the federal government attempted to force him to violate his oath of office by releasing highly sensitive personal information. “I stood up to them and said no. Now, the court sided with us.”
The lawsuit is part of a broader, nationwide push by the Trump administration to obtain detailed voter records. Similar legal actions were filed against 21 other states and Washington, D.C., making Oregon’s case closely watched for its potential national implications.
Oregon argued that federal election laws—including the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, and the Civil Rights Act—do not require states to provide such highly sensitive personal data to the federal government. Judge Kasubhai agreed with that interpretation, pending a final written decision.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said the hearing raised fundamental questions about the federal government’s intentions. “Oregon can protect elections without putting people’s personal information at risk,” Rayfield said. “We look forward to the Court’s final ruling.”
Reporting by KLCC noted that this is the second time in less than a week that a federal court has sided with Oregon against the Trump administration in disputes over access to voter information, reinforcing the state’s legal stance on voter privacy protections.
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