Must Georgia give the government its voter list with confidential fields?
The judge dismissed the case, holding federal law does not override Georgia's privacy law, and denied the motion to compel. The United States has appealed.
Secretary Raffensperger and the intervenors ask the court to dismiss the case
He argued Georgia law keeps voters' ID numbers confidential, federal law does not override it, and he already sent the list without them.
Black Voters Matter Fund, Common Cause, and the NAACP groups each filed their own motions making similar privacy and statutory arguments.
It argued the 1960 law reaches all records, overrides state privacy law, and sets up a quick special proceeding outside the ordinary court rules.
They answered the government's arguments and opposed its request for an order forcing Georgia to produce the unredacted list.
- Docket entry 68 (opens the public source in a new tab)
- Docket entry 69 (opens the public source in a new tab)
- Docket entry 70 (opens the public source in a new tab)
- Docket entry 74 (opens the public source in a new tab)
- Docket entry 81 (opens the public source in a new tab)
- Docket entry 92 (opens the public source in a new tab)
Judge Ross set an in-person hearing for June 3, 2026, then postponed it until the government's recusal request was decided.
Without a hearing, she held federal law does not override Georgia's privacy law, so those fields stay private. She denied the motion to compel.
The United States asks the Eleventh Circuit to reverse the dismissal
It appealed the judgment, the dismissal order, and the denial of its motion to compel to the Eleventh Circuit.
Next step: Eleventh Circuit takes up the appeal
Should Judge Ross step aside from the case?Yes: Judge Ross recused ·
The United States asked Judge Ross to recuse over reports tying her to a judicial misconduct finding. She granted the request on June 15, 2026.
The United States asks Judge Ross to step aside
It said news reports named Judge Ross as the judge in a misconduct finding, an appearance of impropriety. It sought a fast ruling and a later hearing.
The court postponed the motions hearing until it ruled on the recusal request.
Black Voters Matter Fund and Common Cause opposed a fast-track ruling, and Black Voters Matter Fund opposed recusal itself.
It answered the oppositions and gave notice it would ask the appeals court for an order if needed.
She granted the motion to disqualify and stepped aside, so the request for a fast ruling was moot.
Should voting groups join the case as defendants?Yes: all three groups joined ·
The court let three groups join as defendants: Black Voters Matter Fund and union locals, Common Cause and a voter, and the NAACP and partners.
Black Voters Matter Fund and Common Cause ask to join as defendants
They asked to defend Georgia voters' privacy, attaching a proposed answer.
They filed an unopposed motion to join, with a proposed motion to dismiss.
The court let both groups join as defendants.
The NAACP and partners ask to join as defendants
The NAACP, its Georgia conference, and others asked to join and to respond to the motion to compel.
The court granted both motions and gave the group five days to respond to the motion to compel.