The Rhode Island voter data lawsuit involves a legal dispute between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore over access to the state’s voter registration records.
The case, United States v. Amore, No. 1:25-cv-00639, began after the DOJ demanded an unredacted copy of Rhode Island’s statewide voter registration list. The requested information included sensitive details such as voters’ dates of birth, addresses, Rhode Island driver’s license numbers, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
What Is the Rhode Island Voter Data Lawsuit About?
In September 2025, the DOJ asked Rhode Island to provide an electronic copy of its statewide voter registration database. The DOJ said it wanted the records to examine whether Rhode Island was complying with federal voter-registration list maintenance requirements under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).
Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore declined to provide the requested unredacted information. The DOJ subsequently filed a lawsuit against him in December 2025.
The dispute was not about whether Rhode Island maintains voter registration records. Instead, the central legal question was whether federal law gave the DOJ authority to demand the state’s unredacted voter records containing sensitive personal information in the manner it requested.
What Voter Information Did the DOJ Request?
The requested voter file included information such as:
- Full names
- Dates of birth
- Residential addresses
- Rhode Island driver’s license numbers
- The last four digits of Social Security numbers
Rhode Island officials had offered to provide voter information that was publicly available, but the DOJ sought the broader, unredacted database.
Why Did Rhode Island Refuse?
Rhode Island argued that the federal laws cited by the DOJ did not authorize such a broad demand for confidential voter information.
The state also raised privacy concerns because the requested records contained highly sensitive personal information.
Several organizations and Rhode Island voters later intervened in the case to oppose disclosure of the confidential data. Common Cause, the ACLU, SEIU District 1199NE, the Rhode Island Alliance for Retired Americans, and individual voters became involved in defending against the DOJ’s request.
What Did the Federal Judge Decide?
On April 17, 2026, U.S. District Judge Mary S. McElroy dismissed the DOJ’s lawsuit.
The court denied the government’s request to compel Rhode Island to produce the unredacted voter database and granted the defendants’ motions to dismiss.
Judge McElroy concluded that the DOJ’s demand did not provide a sufficient factual basis showing that Rhode Island was violating federal voter-registration list maintenance requirements. The court also rejected the DOJ’s interpretation of federal law as a basis for obtaining the records through the proceeding it had brought.
The ruling described the DOJ’s requested approach as a “fishing expedition” under the circumstances presented to the court.
Did the DOJ Appeal the Decision?
Yes.
The DOJ appealed the district court’s April 2026 decision on June 3, 2026. The appeal is listed as Case No. 26-1665 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
Therefore, the April 2026 dismissal was not the final end of the broader legal dispute. The appellate process remains important to the case’s current status.
Rhode Island Voter Data Lawsuit: Current Status
As of August 8, 2026:
| Item | Status |
| Case | United States v. Amore |
| Court | U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island |
| Original filing | December 2, 2025 |
| DOJ request | Unredacted statewide voter registration data |
| District court ruling | DOJ lawsuit dismissed |
| Decision date | April 17, 2026 |
| DOJ appeal | Filed June 3, 2026 |
| Appeal court | U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit |
| Appeal case | 26-1665 |
| Current issue | Whether the district court’s dismissal should stand |
Why the Lawsuit Matters
The Rhode Island case is part of a larger national dispute over how much access the federal government can demand to state voter-registration databases.
The case raises important questions about:
- Federal authority over state-maintained voter rolls
- Voter privacy
- Access to confidential personal information
- Federal enforcement of voter-registration laws
- The balance between election administration and state authority
The outcome of the appeal could have implications beyond Rhode Island because similar DOJ requests have generated lawsuits and court challenges in other states.
Bottom Line
The Rhode Island voter data lawsuit began after the DOJ sought an unredacted statewide voter registration database containing sensitive personal information. Rhode Island refused to provide the requested records, leading the DOJ to sue Secretary of State Gregg Amore.
A federal judge dismissed the DOJ’s lawsuit on April 17, 2026, finding that the government’s demand lacked the required legal and factual basis. The DOJ subsequently appealed on June 3, 2026, so the dispute is now continuing at the appellate level.
Important: This case is about the government’s attempt to obtain voter-registration records; it does not mean that Rhode Island’s election results or voter registrations were found to be fraudulent. The district court specifically addressed the legal authority and basis for the DOJ’s records demand.