Oct 3
Shasta County, California destroys its 2024 ballots — The county shredded its November 2024 ballots and election materials on Oct 3, after the required retention period ended Sep 5, as protesters first tried to block the shredding truck. A federal grand jury subpoena for the county's June 2026 primary ballots has been reported but not confirmed; the Justice Department would not comment New
Oct 2
NAACP sues DOJ for records on its plan to send about 1,000 monitors to the polls — The records lawsuit follows a Sep 1 request that went unanswered. It seeks DOJ's legal authority for the deployment, the monitors' training and planned locations, and whether the FBI, ICE, or DHS will take part New
Oct 2
New Hampshire's student-ID ban stays in place for November — Judge Joseph Laplante declined to block HB 323, the 2026 law that removed student IDs from the list of accepted voter identification, citing the principle that courts should not change voting rules close to an election. The Coalition for Open Democracy's challenge continues New
Sep 30
Georgia dismissed — DOJ now 0 for 26 in court — Judge Victoria Calvert ruled that federal law does not override Georgia's voter-privacy law and that the Civil Rights Act does not entitle DOJ to the state's unredacted voter roll. This was DOJ's second Georgia suit; the first was dismissed in January for being filed in the wrong court. No court at any level has ruled for DOJ New
Sep 28
Georgia election board votes to seek DOJ and DHS help on voting machines — The State Election Board voted 3-2 to urge Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to install pending Dominion software updates and directed its executive director to seek help from the Justice Department and DHS, including by assisting their review of the state's QR-code ballots, which DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin raised in a Sep 2 letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche as a possible violation of federal law. Early voting begins Oct 13. Raffensperger's office: 'People who are serious about election security don't inject chaos in the 11th hour' New Corrected Oct 6
Sep 28
Judge strikes election conditions from anti-terrorism grants — Judge Amir Ali (D.D.C.) vacated FEMA's rule withholding 20% of Homeland Security Grant Program funds unless states and localities checked voter rolls against DHS's SAVE citizenship database, hand-audited 5% of ballots, and moved to hand-marked ballots. He held Congress never authorized FEMA to use counterterrorism grants that way. The suit was brought by six counties and cities, including Harris and El Paso counties, Nashville, and Columbus. The separate 23-state suit is still pending, and DHS says it will impose new requirements New
Sep 25
Supreme Court lets DHS resume expanded SAVE citizenship checks, 6-3 — In DHS v. League of Women Voters, the Court paused Judge Sparkle Sooknanan's June 22 ruling that the overhauled SAVE database violates federal privacy law, the Social Security Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act. States may again run bulk checks of their voter rolls against SAVE, which now draws on Social Security records, through November. The unsigned majority said the lower court's order 'inhibits the Federal Government's efforts to assist state and local agencies' in running elections. Justices Jackson, Sotomayor, and Kagan dissented New
Sep 25
Judge requires 30 days' notice before DHS releases state citizenship lists — In EPIC's suit against DHS and the Social Security Administration, Judge Paula Xinis (D. Md.) ordered the government to notify the court 30 days before activating a portal or giving states the citizenship lists ordered by Trump's March executive order. A DOJ lawyer would not say whether the lists would be released before the midterms. The earliest possible release under the order is Oct 28, six days before Election Day New
Sep 25
Supreme Court: Missouri votes under its 2022 map — In a unanimous unsigned order, the Court held that "the 2022 map — not the 2025 map — must be used in the 2026 congressional election." This ended a month of conflicting orders. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled Sep 3 that the 2025 map never took effect because of the citizen referendum. A federal judge (Sep 8) and the 8th Circuit (Sep 21) then ordered the 2025 map. In between, the state Supreme Court found Secretary of State Denny Hoskins in contempt (Sep 10) for following the federal order, and he reversed course the same day. Absentee voting had already begun. Voters decide the 2025 map as Proposition A on Nov 3 New
Sep 25
Texas: at least 200,000 voter registrations never reached counties — The Department of Public Safety failed to send counties registration applications and updates submitted through its online driver's-license portal, dating back to October 2025. DPS blamed a software update by a third-party vendor. The state says affected voters who do not appear on the rolls can cast a provisional ballot that will count once their registration is confirmed. Registration closed Oct 5 New
Sep 24
California Supreme Court orders sheriff to return 650,000 seized ballots — In a unanimous ruling, the court ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to return about 650,000 ballots his department seized from the November 2025 Proposition 50 special election to the county registrar and to stop handling them. In a companion ruling, it ordered him to follow the Attorney General's instruction to take no further action on his investigation New
Sep 24
6th Circuit lets Ohio require proof of citizenship to register at the BMV — A 2-1 panel paused a district court order and let Ohio enforce HB 54, which allows BMV clerks to offer voter registration only after a driver's license application that requires documentary proof of citizenship. The ruling came less than two weeks before Ohio's Oct 5 registration deadline New
Sep 22
Voting groups sue over North Carolina's new absentee-ballot rules — In NC Alliance for Retired Americans v. NCSBE, filed in federal court (M.D.N.C.), three groups and two voters challenge rules the State Board adopted Sep 4, the day absentee ballots began going out. Under the rules, a ballot returned with an unsealed inner envelope must be spoiled and reissued when time remains, and counties must add a signature review New
Sep 22
Washington dismissed — DOJ 0 for 25 — Judge Kymberly Evanson dismissed DOJ's voter-roll suit with prejudice, ruling the Civil Rights Act does not reach the state's voter list. Vermont's suit had been dismissed Sep 17 New
Sep 19
California expands its state Voting Rights Act — Gov. Newsom signed SB 1164 and SB 1360, which bar voter suppression and vote dilution, add a process to stop discriminatory voting changes before they take effect, and expand language access for voters with limited English. Per the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, California is the fourth state in 2026 to enact or expand a state VRA, after Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware New
Sep 18
Lawsuits seek to keep armed federal agents away from polling places — The NAACP, unions, and civil rights groups sued in Washington, D.C., under the Voting Rights Act's ban on voter intimidation, following a Sep 10 suit by Denver's clerk and LULAC citing federal law that makes it a crime to send armed federal officers to the polls. DHS says 'ICE is not planning operations targeting polling locations' but that it may still make targeted arrests New
Sep 14
Supreme Court keeps USPS mail-ballot rule blocked for the midterms — The Court denied DOJ's emergency request, finding the government "unlikely to succeed on the merits" of its challenge to Judge Talwani's injunction. Justices Alito and Thomas dissented. Justice Kavanaugh concurred, writing that applying the rule in 2026 would be arbitrary and capricious because election officials do not have time to implement it. A second judge, Carl Nichols in Washington, D.C., a Trump appointee, had separately blocked the rule on Sep 13, and the 1st Circuit refused to lift Talwani's injunction on Sep 10 New
Sep 10
DOJ warns election officials of "criminal sanctions" over 2024 records — Letters from Voting Section acting chief Eric Neff, made public Sep 10, ordered the 29 states and D.C. that DOJ is suing for voter data to preserve 2024 election records. The letters warn that failure "may constitute spoliation of evidence" that could bring "civil and criminal sanctions." Utah's Republican Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson said DOJ should "focus on actual problems instead of baselessly harassing election officials" New
Sep 4
Judge blocks USPS mail-ballot rule through the November election — Judge Talwani converted her Aug 27 order into a preliminary injunction in suits by 23 states plus D.C. and by voting-rights groups, finding that "immediate implementation of the Final Rule issued less than seventy days before the November 2026 election threatens disenfranchisement of millions of United States citizens who seek to vote by mail." North Carolina began mailing absentee ballots the same day, the first state to do so New
Sep 3
Maryland's redistricting question goes back on the ballot, rewritten — The Supreme Court of Maryland overturned lower-court orders that had blocked Question 3, but found the legislature's ballot wording misleading and replaced it with the purpose paragraph from the bill itself. Justice Steven Gould dissented, joined by Senior Justice Glenn Harrell. The amendment would let the General Assembly give the state Supreme Court original jurisdiction over congressional maps and would state that the Maryland Constitution sets no criteria for congressional districts New
Sep 3
Michigan citizenship-verification amendment stays off the ballot — The U.S. Supreme Court and the Michigan Supreme Court both rejected the campaign's requests on Sep 3. The state Board of State Canvassers had deadlocked 2-2 along party lines on certifying it Aug 24, and the Michigan court held certification was within the board's discretion. The amendment would have required voters to prove citizenship to vote a full ballot, creating two separate voter rolls New
Sep 1
Tarrant County, Texas cuts 92 Election Day polling sites — Commissioners voted 3-2 along party lines, with County Judge Tim O'Hare and Commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez in favor, to drop from 316 Election Day sites in the 2022 midterms to 224 this November, in a county of more than 1.3 million registered voters. Early voting sites drop from 50 to 47 New
Aug 27
Judge blocks the finalized USPS mail-ballot rule — Judge Talwani issued a 14-day temporary restraining order against the rule, finding the challengers likely to succeed, that USPS likely lacked authority to issue it, and that the record contained no evidence of mail-voting fraud. The day before, she had lifted her own earlier nationwide order in light of the Supreme Court's Aug 24 ruling
Aug 27
Wyoming's Republican governor objects to DOJ election monitors — Two DOJ attorneys at Laramie County's Aug 18 primary arrived unannounced, sought to examine tabulators, and tried to interview voters, which the county clerk refused. Gov. Mark Gordon said their behavior "seemed to exceed what the authority that Congress had given them was." DOJ plans to deploy about 1,000 monitors nationwide for November
Aug 25
Oklahoma writes voter ID into its state constitution — State Question 846 passed 292,481 to 243,064, about 55%. Oklahoma has required voter ID by statute since 2011, so nothing changes at the polls; what changes is that a future legislature can no longer repeal it
Aug 24
League of Women Voters sues South Dakota over how it runs its new registration law — The League of Women Voters of South Dakota and a voter sued in federal court, asking that the state's new voter-registration law be carried out in a way that complies with federal law. The suit challenges how the law is administered, not the law itself New
Aug 24
Supreme Court lifts Talwani's June injunction, 6-3 — The unsigned order held the injunction premature because USPS had not yet finalized its rule, and expressly declined to rule on legality. Justice Jackson dissented that it "needlessly injects chaos and uncertainty into the upcoming midterm elections." USPS had published its final mail-ballot rule on Aug 21
Aug 22
Judge orders ICE to justify withholding polling-place records — In the DNC's records suit over plans to deploy federal agents and troops to polling places, Judge Beryl Howell called ICE's projected June 2027 completion date "an unacceptable delay given the proximity of the 2026 midterm elections" and ordered an itemized justification of withheld records by Sep 10
Aug 20
North Carolina board drops Sunday early voting in 10 counties — Deciding early-voting plans for 20 counties whose local boards could not agree, the State Board of Elections' Republican majority left 10 counties that had Sunday voting in the 2022 midterms with none this year. The board also approved a Guilford County plan without early-voting sites at UNC Greensboro and N.C. A&T New
Aug 20
DNC sues DOJ for ballot-seizure records — The records suit in D.D.C. seeks documents on any "planned, anticipated, or potential" seizure of election materials from 30 days before an election through certification, after a February request went unanswered. The suit does not establish that such a plan exists
Aug 18
DOJ monitors Miami-Dade County's primary — The Justice Department sent about four Civil Rights Division attorneys to monitor polls in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and two to Laramie County, Wyoming, for the Aug 18 primaries. DOJ said it had deployed over 75 monitors across five states and over 200 polling locations this primary season New
Aug 17
Nevada and Minnesota dismissed — DOJ 0 for 23 — Nevada's voter-data suit was dismissed Aug 14 and Minnesota's Aug 17. Also on Aug 14, the 6th Circuit refused DOJ's request for full-court rehearing of its loss in the Michigan case
Aug 17
North Carolina governor vetoes election omnibus — Gov. Josh Stein vetoed HB 958. House Speaker Destin Hall deferred any override attempt until after November
Aug 12
5th Circuit reinstates parts of Texas SB 1 — Judge Andrew Oldham held the LUPE plaintiffs lacked standing, vacating permanent injunctions and reviving ID requirements on mail-ballot applications, the state's cure processes, and oath rules for people who assist voters. The court did not reach the merits
Aug 6
D.C., Colorado, and Illinois dismissed — DOJ 0 for 21 — Illinois's voter-data suit was dismissed Jul 31, Colorado's Aug 3, and D.C.'s Aug 6
Aug 6
Delaware enacts a state Voting Rights Act — Gov. Matt Meyer signed HB 444, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, on the 61st anniversary of the federal VRA. It takes effect July 1, 2027, so it does not govern this November
Aug 5
Maryland sends a redistricting amendment to voters — Gov. Wes Moore signed HB 2100 after a three-day special session, placing Question 3 on the November ballot. Two lawsuits followed within days
Jul 29
New Jersey dismissed — DOJ now 0 for 18 in court — Judge Quraishi ruled the Civil Rights Act doesn't authorize access to the state's voter database. DOJ has lost every district-court ruling in its voter-data campaign
Jul 28
D.C. Circuit declines to block mail-voting EO — separate challenge ruled premature until USPS actually implements the order, while noting "serious questions" about its lawfulness. EO's midterm status now split across circuits
Jul 27
Trump asks Supreme Court to unleash mail-voting EO — emergency application to stay the injunction and allow full implementation before Nov 3. States' response due Aug 3. First SCOTUS test of the anti-voting executive orders
Jul 25
1st Circuit keeps mail-voting EO blocked — divided panel refuses DOJ's stay request, warning implementation "would sow confusion and threaten disenfranchisement of many eligible voters"
Jul 24
23 states sue over DHS grant conditions — Illinois-led coalition (plus D.C. and the governors of KY and PA) challenges DHS tying $1.5B in security grants to hand-marked ballots, manual audits, and SAVE voter-roll screening. At least $148M at stake
Jul 24
New Jersey refuses DOJ's demand for noncitizen registrants' data — after Gov. Sherrill disclosed a years-old software error registered ~6,600 noncitizens (~400 voted), DOJ gave the state five business days to hand over those 6,600 registrants' names, birth dates, nationalities, and addresses, and when and where the 400 voted. Sherrill refused publicly, then formally in a Jul 28 letter; Assistant AG Harmeet Dhillon vowed DOJ would get the information through legal means Corrected Oct 6
Jul 23
Tennessee's Memphis-splitting map survives — three-judge federal panel denies preliminary injunction; the 9-0 GOP map that eliminated the state's only majority-Black district stays for 2026
Jul 23
Kentucky case dismissed; DOJ appeals losses to 8 circuits — Judge Boom follows the 6th Circuit's Michigan precedent. Same day, DOJ appeals its CT, NY, and NM losses — the voter-data fight now spans 8 federal appeals courts
Jul 22
Judge keeps voting groups' challenge to mail-voting EO Section 3 alive — In League of Women Voters of Massachusetts v. Trump, Talwani refuses to dismiss the Section 3 claims for the November election, finding disenfranchisement "plausibly likely and imminent" Corrected Oct 6
Jul 21
Arizona primary held under federal monitors — first statewide election of the pressure campaign; civil-rights groups trained hundreds of observers. Election-denier Alex Kolodin wins the GOP nomination for Secretary of State
Jul 17
DHS ties election-security help to voter purges — Secretary Mullin conditions CISA election resources on states running rolls through the SAVE database, claims 250,000+ noncitizens registered in CA, NJ, NV, PA with no methodology, and threatens "criminal accountability" for refusing officials
Jul 16
Trump primetime address on "election security" — claims China acquired 220M voter files and that 18 states' voter data was "bought, stolen, or hacked"; orders FBI to reopen the debunked Muskegon, MI case; directs DHS to push states to purge rolls; demands SAVE America Act. Fact-checkers find no evidence for the central claims
Jul 16
D.C. National Guard deployment extended through Jan 2029 — ~5,000 troops from 20+ states will span the 2026 midterms and the next presidential transition. Constitutional scholars: "That should send up major red flags"
Jul 13
Georgia rebuffs DOJ threat letter — state general counsel defends citizenship-verification practices as deadline passes. PA's top election official follows Jul 15. No state is known to have capitulated to the criminal-threat letters
Jul 10
New York case dismissed — DOJ's 12th straight loss — Judge D'Agostino: a voter registration list "is not a record or paper" states must produce under federal law
Jul 9
Trump fires remaining EAC commissioners — Hicks, Hovland, and McCormick removed from the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission months before the midterms. Same day, Georgia's State Election Board adopts new tabulation rules over the AG's litigation warning
Jul 8
260 FBI personnel on the Fulton County case — internal memo shows agents pulled from field offices nationwide to review 700+ seized boxes with a Jul 17 deadline. ProPublica: FBI weighed AI review of ~150,000 seized ballot signatures
Jul 7
DOJ threatens election officials in all 50 states with prosecution — Dhillon letters warn officials could face criminal charges for "knowingly retaining noncitizens" on rolls; 5-day deadline. UT's Republican Lt. Gov.: "truly bizarre... sprinkled throughout with threats of criminal prosecution"
Jul 7
Federal election monitors headed to 15 jurisdictions in 6 states — AZ, MA, MI, MN, NH, VA primaries, mostly Democratic strongholds. Dhillon: "Stay tuned... an even more expanded program" for the general
Jul 7
Judge quashes DOJ subpoena for Fulton election workers' identities — Trump-appointed Judge Ray calls the demand for every 2020 election worker's name, address, and phone number an "arbitrary fishing expedition"
Jul 2
New Jersey signs first post-Callais state Voting Rights Act — Gov. Sherrill signs the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act, the 11th state VRA. MD (SB 255) and VT (SB 298) enacted state VRAs earlier this session
Jul 1
Mississippi law requiring annual SAVE checks of the full voter roll takes effect — SB 2588, signed Apr 1, requires the state to run all registered voters through the federal SAVE citizenship database every year New
Jul 1
Florida domestic-terrorist designation law takes effect — DeSantis names CAIR, antifa, and others as intended targets; CAIR sues; state tells court no designations until FDLE regulations are finalized
Jun 29
SCOTUS upholds mail-ballot grace periods 5-4 — Watson v. RNC: states may count ballots postmarked by Election Day but received after. Barrett writes majority. Postmark deadlines in 14+ states and military/overseas grace periods survive intact
Jun 29
PA and NH cases dismissed — DOJ's 10th (Jun 27) and 11th (Jun 29) district-court losses in the voter-data campaign
Jun 26
Nebraska Supreme Court declares voter-data case moot — the state already handed DOJ the records in February, so there is nothing left to decide. Data stays in federal hands
Jun 25
Judge blocks core of Trump's mail-voting EO — Talwani enjoins the DHS/SSA citizenship database and USPS mail-ballot gatekeeping for the 2026 elections: "No law enacted by Congress delegates authority to control mail-in voting to USPS"
Jun 24
6th Circuit affirms Michigan's win — DOJ's first appellate ruling in the voter-data campaign goes against it: neither NVRA nor HAVA compels states to hand over unredacted rolls with partial SSNs
Jun 23
Federal officers confront a poll worker at a Syracuse polling site — During New York's primary, two federal officers visited a poll worker at her polling place and gave her a written notice saying she "may be in violation of federal law" over an Instagram post. DHS said doxxing federal officers is a federal crime; the worker denies posting anyone's address. Onondaga County's Republican elections commissioner said there was no emergency and that it was "wrong as a matter of law" New
Jun 18
Maryland case dismissed — ninth DOJ district-court loss (per the UW State Democracy tracker)
Jun 14
DHS Secretary walks back ICE-at-polls assurance — Mullin says ICE "would only be there if a threat" arises, conditioning the categorical Feb 25 pledge that ICE would not be at polling places. Nine secretaries of state still have no written guarantee
Jun 13
ICE obtained individual voter files from county offices — Homeland Security Investigations got voter records directly from Webb County, TX and Forsyth County, NC, including which elections specific people voted in. Both counties complied
Jun 4
Senate rejects SAVE America Act 48-50 — Collins, Murkowski, McConnell, and Tillis join all Democrats against the reconciliation gambit. Second failed attempt; Sen. Lee later moves to cancel August recess to force another vote
Jun 2
SCOTUS reinstates Alabama's blocked map 6-3 — shadow-docket stay of the panel ruling that found the map "intentionally racially discriminatory." The map runs in the Aug 11 special primaries. Iowa signs SF 2218 the same day: annual SAVE-database checks of every registered voter
May 29
Louisiana enacts new map eliminating a majority-Black district — SB 121 wipes out Rep. Cleo Fields' district; House primaries reset to Nov 3, general Dec 12. Fields later announces he won't seek reelection
May 26
Alabama map blocked; South Carolina redraw fails — three-judge panel finds AL's map intentionally discriminatory (SCOTUS later stays the ruling); SC's state Senate kills the Trump-backed mid-decade map
May 21
Wisconsin and Maine cases dismissed — DOJ's 7th and 8th district-court losses (per the UW State Democracy tracker)
May 19
9th Circuit hears CA/OR voter-data appeals — panel appears skeptical of DOJ; Arizona's appeal frozen pending the outcome. No ruling as of late July
May 15
FBI interviews Wisconsin election officials in 2020 probe — agents contact Elections Commission officials, Milwaukee election staff and police, and Madison's clerk over Trump's false Milwaukee ballot claims. Same week, SCOTUS rejects VA Democrats' redistricting appeal
May 12
Missouri's 7-1 map stays in place for the August primary — state Supreme Court rules the citizen referendum doesn't suspend the map; voters decide its fate on the Nov 3 ballot. (Superseded: on Sep 3 the same court ruled the 2025 map never took effect, and on Sep 25 the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the 2022 map for November.)
May 8
Virginia Supreme Court strikes redistricting amendment — kills the Democrats' mid-decade counter-redraw; the existing 6-5 map stands for 2026
May 7
Tennessee splits Memphis in 3-day special session — 9-0 GOP map divides the state's only majority-Black district across three districts; Gov. Lee signs same day. Candidates get 8 days to re-qualify
May 6
DOJ keeps the seized Fulton County ballots — Judge Boulee denies the county's motion for return even while finding the FBI affidavit contained "misleading" statements and calling the seizure "unprecedented"
May 4
Florida signs post-Callais map targeting 4 Democrats — includes the Black-opportunity FL-20; FL Supreme Court later (Jun 11) lets it stand for 2026. SCOTUS expedites its Callais judgment the same day
Apr 30
Louisiana suspends its House primaries mid-election — Gov. Landry's EO 26-038 halts the May 16 primaries two days before early voting, with 100k+ ballots already cast or mailed. First gubernatorial suspension of an active congressional election in U.S. history. State judges deny every TRO
Apr 29
SCOTUS guts VRA Section 2 in Louisiana v. Callais — 6-3 ruling strikes Louisiana's second majority-Black district and holds VRA compliance can't justify race-conscious maps. Kagan: Section 2 is now "all but a dead letter." The Southern redistricting wave begins within days
Apr 28
Arizona case dismissed — sixth DOJ voter-data loss (per the UW State Democracy tracker); Rhode Island's case was dismissed Apr 17
Apr 27
SCOTUS upholds Texas's mid-decade map — reverses the lower court; the 2025 redraw worth ~5 Republican seats stands for 2026
Apr 21
Voting-rights groups sue to block national voter database — Common Cause, LWV, and ACLU challenge DOJ's plan to run collected state voter files against DHS's SAVE system as a "surveil-and-purge" database
Apr 20
DOJ demands Wayne County's 2024 Detroit ballots — Dhillon letter seeks 2024 election records; Michigan officials call it "absurd and baseless." Wayne County says it doesn't possess the requested ballots
Apr 14
Virginia joins the National Popular Vote compact — Gov. Spanberger signs HB 965; the compact reaches 222 of the 270 electoral votes needed to take effect
Apr 12
Senate enters recess with SAVE Act stalled — Extended debate failed to produce 60 votes. Bill remains on the calendar but no vote scheduled before recess ends
Apr 11
Democracy Forward sues DOJ for withholding election records — FOIA lawsuit seeking documents related to DOJ voter data collection program and internal communications about legal strategy
Apr 9
Massachusetts voter data case dismissed — Judge Leo Sorokin ruled DOJ failed to state why it needed the records. Fifth nationwide dismissal of DOJ voter data lawsuits
Apr 6
NH strips student IDs from voter identification — Gov. Ayotte signs HB 323; government-issued ID now required, hitting college-town voters hardest
Apr 6
DeSantis signs domestic terrorist designation bill — HB 1471 lets state officials label nonprofits as domestic terrorist organizations without criminal conviction. Criminalizes membership, bars state funding, expels university students. Takes effect July 1
Apr 3
Key DOJ privacy officer resigns amid voter data collection — Kilian Kagle, responsible for reviewing privacy implications of data programs, resigned as DOJ expanded its collection of voter records from states
Apr 3
24 states sue Trump over election control executive order — Coalition led by MA AG Campbell and PA Gov. Shapiro challenges EO directing USPS to maintain national voter eligibility list and refuse to deliver mail ballots to anyone not on it. Called it a "shocking and unprecedented power grab"
Apr 1
DOJ sues Idaho — the 30th state — total now 30 states + D.C. sued for voter registration data. SoS McGrane had declined to hand over the full file
Apr 1
DeSantis signs Florida SAVE Act — HB 991 requires proof of citizenship for voter registration. Removes student IDs as valid voter ID. Two federal lawsuits filed within minutes by LWV, NAACP, ACLU coalitions. Takes effect Jan 1, 2027
Mar 31
Trump signs executive order to federalize elections — Directs DHS and SSA to create national voter eligibility database. Orders USPS to refuse mail ballots to anyone not on federal list. Threatens states with criminal prosecution and funding cuts for noncompliance. Trump voted by mail himself days earlier
Mar 27
Oklahoma settles with DOJ on voter data — First Republican-led state to reverse course after being sued. Agreed to provide voter data to DOJ
Mar 20
DOJ files emergency motions in voter data cases — First urgency-based claims in the litigation track, asserting 2026 midterm validity is at risk without court rulings. Michigan formally rejected the emergency arguments
Mar 17
SAVE Act clears Senate procedural vote 51-48 — First floor action on the bill. Extended debate underway despite lack of filibuster-proof majority
Mar 15
SAVE Act Senate vote this week — Thune scheduled floor vote week of Mar 16 despite lacking 60 votes. Trump threatened to block all other legislation until it passes. Expected to fail on filibuster but signals escalating pressure
Mar 14
6th Circuit partially expedites Michigan appeal — Court grants DOJ's request for faster briefing schedule; briefs due late March and mid-April. Michigan case positioned to potentially be first voter data case to reach Supreme Court
Mar 11
Sen. Cornyn flips on filibuster — Texas Republican reverses decades of support, now backs "whatever changes to Senate rules may prove necessary" to pass SAVE Act. Driven by Paxton primary pressure and pursuit of Trump endorsement
Mar 10
DNC sues Trump admin over federal agents at polls — 11 FOIA requests to DOJ, DHS, and DoD about plans to deploy armed agents or troops to polling places went unanswered for 5 months. White House press secretary refused to guarantee ICE won't be at polling locations
Mar 9
FBI subpoenas Arizona 2020 election records — Grand jury subpoena issued to Arizona Senate for records from the Maricopa County Cyber Ninjas audit. Senate President Petersen (R) complied. AZ AG Mayes: "This is not a legitimate law enforcement inquiry." Expands 2020 investigation beyond Georgia
Mar 3
18 former DOJ attorneys file amicus brief in Illinois — bipartisan group argues Trump administration lacks legal authority to demand voter data. Have filed similar briefs across most ongoing lawsuits
Mar 3
Minnesota court hears motion to dismiss DOJ voter data lawsuit — judge weighing state's legal challenge as DOJ strategy faces mounting court setbacks
Feb 26
Draft emergency EO circulating to declare national emergency and seize control of elections — would ban mail-in ballots and voting machines based on debunked China conspiracy theory. Legal experts call it "blatantly unconstitutional"
Feb 26
DOJ sues 5 more states for voter data — Utah, Oklahoma, Kentucky, West Virginia, and New Jersey. Total now 29 states + D.C. Three are Republican-governed; Kentucky's Republican SoS also refused
Feb 25
DOJ appeals 3 dismissed cases — Oregon and California to 9th Circuit, Michigan to 6th Circuit. Lost in trial courts, now escalating to federal appeals courts
Feb 25
Thune kills SAVE Act talking filibuster — at least 4 GOP senators refuse to support, including co-sponsors Tillis and Curtis. Bill will face 60-vote threshold, unlikely to pass
Feb 25
FBI call with 50 state election officials — DHS confirms ICE will NOT be at polling places for 2026. But federal agencies refuse to affirm states' constitutional authority over elections. Election conspiracy theorist Heather Honey (now DHS deputy) urged states to use SAVE database. Oregon SoS called meeting "bluster" with "not a lot of facts"
Feb 25
Fulton County asks Trump-appointed judge to force FBI agent to testify about misleading affidavit used to justify election raid. County alleges FBI omitted findings that debunked its own claims
Feb 24
Trump demands SAVE Act at State of the Union — calls out Thune by name ("We have to stop it, John"), falsely claims "cheating is rampant," demands ban on mail-in ballots. Exaggerates bill's provisions beyond what it contains
Feb 23
Federal panel upholds Utah court-ordered redistricting map — GOP challenge denied. Map giving Democrats shot at House seat stands for 2026
Feb 20
CREW wins FOIA — reveals DOJ had no evidence of noncitizen voting when it began suing states for voter data. Undercuts stated justification for entire campaign
Feb 17
New Mexico passes SB 264 — criminalizes deploying federal troops at polling places (fourth-degree felony). Also bans altering voter qualifications beyond state law. Sent to governor
Feb 16
Missouri Republican SoS Hoskins refuses DOJ voter data demands — joins bipartisan resistance from WV, NH, PA. Fourth Republican official to refuse
Feb 13
Ohio hands over 8 million voter records to DOJ — Republican SoS Frank LaRose transfers statewide voter data including SSNs and driver's license numbers. Ohio Democrats call it capitulation. Total complied states now 13
Feb 13
Ohio voter purge lawsuit filed — LWV and CAIR challenge SB 293 requiring monthly citizenship checks using flawed databases. Law allows cancellations without notice, even during NVRA quiet period
Feb 13
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) supports SAVE Act but opposes eliminating filibuster — Republicans claim 50+ votes but still short of 60. Collins backed revised version dropping per-vote citizenship proof requirement
Feb 12
Nebraska hands over voter data to DOJ — SoS Evnen transfers names, DOBs, and partial SSNs after state Supreme Court denies injunction. Court will still hear full case March 31. Evnen pledges state will not remove voters solely on DOJ recommendations
Feb 12
West Virginia's Republican Secretary of State rejects DOJ voter data demands — Kris Warner: "Just not gonna happen." Cites state law, joins bipartisan resistance from NH, PA, and MO
Feb 11
House passes SAVE America Act 218-213 — requires proof of citizenship to register, photo ID to vote, and monthly voter roll purges via DHS. Sen. Murkowski (R-AK) first GOP senator to oppose, citing federalization of elections. Faces 60-vote threshold in Senate
Feb 10
Trump-appointed judge dismisses Michigan voter data case — 3rd court to reject DOJ on the merits (0 for 3)
Feb 10
Virginia becomes the 24th state sued by DOJ for voter data
Feb 10
Senate Majority Leader Thune rejects eliminating filibuster for SAVE Act — says Republicans lack votes for nuclear option. One Democrat (Rep. Cuellar, TX) voted yes in House
Feb 7
Nebraska judge dismisses lawsuit blocking voter data transfer to DOJ — Common Cause appealing. Supreme Court denies injunction but will hear case March 31
Feb 6
FBI invites all 50 state election officials to mysterious February 25 call on 'midterm preparations' — Nevada Secretary of State calls it 'beyond crazy'
Feb 3
Trump calls on Republicans to "nationalize the voting" in at least 15 places — Constitution delegates elections to states
Jan 30
Judge Kollar-Kotelly permanently blocks two more provisions of Trump election EO — agencies cannot assess citizenship before offering voter registration; military/overseas voters cannot be required to show proof of citizenship
Jan 28
FBI raids Fulton County, GA election offices — seizes 2020 ballots and voter rolls. DNI Gabbard on-site, called Trump during raid
Jan 25
AG Bondi demands Minnesota voter rolls as condition for pulling ICE — Secretary of State calls it "an apparent ransom"
Jan 23
Federal judge dismisses Georgia voter data lawsuit on jurisdictional grounds — DOJ filed in wrong court, can refile
Jan 2026
Courts dismiss California and Oregon cases on the merits — CA judge calls centralization effort "alarming"
Dec 2025
Second wave of lawsuits — DOJ sues WI, IL, GA, DC, DE, MD, NM, RI, VT, WA, and more for voter data
Sept 2025
First wave — DOJ sues CA, MI, MN, NH, NY, OR, PA for refusing to hand over voter rolls with SSNs
2025
CISA gutted — 1,000+ election security staff fired, transferred, or resigned. FBI banned from countering election disinfo