Court Grants NAACP Motion to Dismiss in CA Voting Rights Case

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 16, 2026

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WASHINGTON - Last year, Trump's Department of Justice sued California to force the state to provide all unredacted California voter information. The NAACP filed a Motion to Intervene in the lawsuit and to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the DOJ had no right to this information, and that they could use it to suppress the vote. The Court granted the NAACP's Motion to Dismiss ruling:

The taking of democracy does not occur in one fell swoop; it is chipped away piece-by-piece until there is nothing left. The case before the Court is one of these cuts that imperils all Americans. The erosion of privacy and rolling back of voting rights is a decision for open and public debate within the Legislative Branch, not the Executive. The Constitution demands such respect, and the Executive may not unilaterally usurp the authority over elections it seeks to do so here.

The Department of Justice seeks to use civil rights legislation which was enacted for an entirely different purpose to amass and retain an unprecedented amount of confidential voter data. This effort goes far beyond what Congress intended when it passed the underlying legislation. The centralization of this information by the federal government would have a chilling effect on voter registration which would inevitably lead to decreasing voter turnout as voters fear that their information is being used for some inappropriate or unlawful purpose. This risk threatens the right to vote which is the cornerstone of American democracy.

Abraham Lincoln once said "the ballot is stronger than the bullet." One hundred years later, Dwight Eisenhower observed, "A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both." Both principles are applicable here. But, more critically, the Constitution requires that any decision which might erode fundamental privacy and voting rights must be subjected to the crucible of public debate through the Legislative Branch of the American government. It cannot be the product of an executive fiat.

"Let's be real: this has nothing to do with protecting democracy and everything to do with undermining it," said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO, NAACP. "The Trump administration is once again weaponizing the federal government to silence voters, particularly in Black and Latino communities. We will not allow millions of Americans to be treated as pawns in this latest authoritarian power grab. We're suing everybody we can to protect our communities and our right to vote."

Represented by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and local legal partners, the NAACP argued that the DOJ's unprecedented demand for voter data threatens to erode trust in elections, open the door to voter intimidation, and lead to wrongfully blocking eligible voters from the ballot box.

The NAACP also joined lawsuits in Pennsylvania and New York to block Trump's Department of Justice's demand for access to sensitive voter registration data. In each state, the NAACP's legal action underscores how the DOJ's overreach threatens to deepen distrust in elections and disproportionately harm voters most vulnerable to suppression, including young voters, naturalized citizens, and those with past criminal convictions who have returned to civic life.

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About NAACP

The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for the civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund - also referred to as the NAACP-LDF - was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but now operates as a completely separate entity.