President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey, on Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
"Upon information and belief there currently are a significant number of voters that do not have a driver’s license number, last four digits of a social security number, or any other identifying number, as required by Section 303 of HAVA, listed in North Carolina’s state voter registration file," according to the filing in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. "Those violations will continue absent relief from this Court."
"Accurate voter registration rolls are critical to ensure that elections in North Carolina are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement. "The Department of Justice will not hesitate to file suit against jurisdictions that maintain inaccurate voter registration rolls in violation of federal voting laws."
A previous edition of the state elections board, in which Democrats held a majority, acknowledged the problem in late 2023 after a voter complained. The board updated the voter registration form but declined to contact people who had registered to vote since 2004 in time for the 2024 elections so they could fill in the missing numbers.
According to the lawsuit, the board indicated that such information would be accumulated on an ad hoc basis as voters appeared at polling places. It is unclear exactly how many voters' records still lack identifying numbers.
Lawyers from the DOJ Civil Rights Division want a judge to give the state 30 days to develop a plan to contact voters with records that do not comply with federal law, obtain an identifying number for each and add that to the electronic list.
The state and national GOP last year sued over the lack of identifying numbers, which they estimated could have affected 225,000 registrants. However, federal judges declined to make changes so close to the general election.
The lawsuit also referred to President Donald Trump's executive order on elections in March to "guard against illegal voting, unlawful discrimination, and other forms of fraud, error, or suspicion."
Newly appointed members of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, from left to right, Jeff Carmon, Francis De Luca, Stacy "Four" Eggers, Siobhan O'Duffy Millen and Bob Rucho, take their oaths of office at the Dobbs Building in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary D. Robertson)
Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs was ultimately certified as the winner over Griffin by 734 votes out of over 5.5 million ballots cast. Griffin conceded earlier this month but said he did not fully agree with the court’s analysis.
This month, the state election board’s composition changed to reflect a 2024 law approved by the GOP-dominated General Assembly that shifted the board’s appointment powers from the now-Democratic governor to Republican State Auditor Dave Boliek. A previous 3-2 Democratic majority is now a 3-2 Republican majority.
The new iteration of the board sounds open to embracing the Justice Department’s wishes.
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Executive Director Sam Hayes said late Tuesday the lawsuit was being reviewed, "but the failure to collect the information required by HAVA has been well documented."
"Rest assured that I am committed to bringing North Carolina into compliance with federal law," he said, according to The Associated Press.
Local elections start in September.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on X: @danimwallace.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/doj-sues-north-carolina-over-voter-rolls