Right-Wing Group Targets Voter Rolls in Multiple States

The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), an anti-voting legal group, has sent letters to state election officials in Maine, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania alleging mass inaccuracies in voter rolls, such as duplicate and deceased registrants, and has offered assistance with voter roll maintenance programs that could potentially disenfranchise voters. In response, Maine's Secretary of State Shenna Bellows emphasized investigating any voting concerns thoroughly and protecting voters from unfair accusations. Meanwhile, election authorities in McLean County, Illinois, clarified their voter list maintenance practices following a Department of Justice (DOJ) inquiry, affirming their compliance with mandated voter roll purges. The DOJ's increased interest in election administration is part of a broader Trump administration effort to collect sensitive data and strengthen election integrity, including requests for election official lists and scrutiny of voter registration procedures. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, under President Trump's leadership, announced a robust legal campaign targeting illegal race-based gerrymandering and voter roll irregularities in Democratic areas, with lawsuits already filed against states like North Carolina and warnings issued to Texas. Dhillon affirmed her division's commitment to protecting voting rights, ensuring clean voter rolls, and confronting discriminatory practices at the ballot box in alignment with the principles of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.