Federal judge dismisses DOJ lawsuit asking Kentucky to provide unredacted voter registration records

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A federal judge dismissed a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit Thursday, ruling Kentucky does not have to release its unredacted voter registration records.

The lawsuit, which was filed by the DOJ in February against the secretary of state and the State Board of Elections, asked for full registration lists and information such as voters' addresses and driver’s license numbers. The agency claimed it needed the information to prevent fraud.

Judge Claria Horn Boom ruled in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky that the state does not have to release that information under federal law. She also noted Kentucky had already provided a redacted version.

Jefferson County Clerk David Yates said in a news release the ruling is a win for voter privacy.

"Kentucky voters have nothing to hide, and election officials fully complied with every legal obligation throughout this process," Yates said. "What we would not do is surrender confidential personal information that the law protects."

Yates was the first county clerk to take action to stop the DOJ's lawsuit.

Back in March, Yates filed a motion to join the case, arguing that releasing the unredacted voter database would force him to violate state privacy laws. He later asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit entirely.

"This ruling confirms that transparency in elections can and must coexist with strong safeguards for voter privacy," Yates said. "Our responsibility is not only to maintain accurate voter rolls, but also to protect the millions of Kentuckians who entrust us with their personal information."

Boom's decision relied on a recent Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, the release said, which found the federal law cited by the DOJ does not extend to the voter information the department was requesting.

"I’m glad that the United States District Court agreed with us and granted our motion to dismiss," Yates said. "We were right. We stood up. We fought back, and we won."

The DOJ has until Sept. 21 to appeal.