Maine Secretary of State Seeks Dismissal of DOJ Voter Data Lawsuit

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

This comes as Maine looks ahead to the 2026 gubernatorial election, where Bellows is one of several candidates hoping to move into the Blaine House after incumbent Gov. Janet Mills.

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Bellows filed a motion on Friday to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the DOJ over Maine’s refusal to provide electronic copies of voter registration lists.

Additionally, the lawsuit challenges details about how those lists are maintained. The DOJ filed the lawsuit in September, accusing the state of violating federal election laws by withholding personal voter information, including driver’s license numbers and parts of Social Security numbers.

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The lawsuit points to the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, and the Civil Rights Act as the legal basis for the DOJ’s request.

Bellows argues the DOJ has not explained how it would use the data, citing concerns about the privacy of Mainers’ sensitive information, and has rejected the request twice.

Maine is one of at least 30 states facing similar requests, according to the motion to dismiss, arguing the DOJ is overstepping its authority.

While also arguing that the DOJ is violating the federal Privacy Act of 1974 by seeking voter information tied to First Amendment–protected activities, such as party affiliation and election participation, without public notice or congressional approval.

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And there you have it. On Friday, Maine’s 50th secretary of state, Shenna Bellows, filed a motion to dismiss this lawsuit from the DOJ.

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