Trump Administration Orders Preservation of 2024 Election Records in 30 Jurisdictions

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has directed election officials in 29 states and the District of Columbia to preserve records connected to the 2024 election, intensifying the federal government’s effort to verify voter-registration systems and ensure compliance with election laws.

The Justice Department’s letters were sent to jurisdictions that have resisted federal requests for detailed voter-registration information. The records may include addresses, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers. Administration officials say access to the data is necessary to evaluate whether states are properly maintaining voter rolls and preventing ineligible registrations.

Justice Department officials characterized the preservation orders as a routine legal step in ongoing litigation. Harmeet Dhillon, head of the department’s Civil Rights Division, said the letters were intended to ensure that states do not destroy records relevant to the lawsuits.

“This is standard litigation practice, not a ‘threat,’” Dhillon wrote on social media.

The letters direct officials to place a legal hold on paper and electronic records. They warn that failing to preserve potentially relevant information could constitute the destruction of evidence and expose officials to civil or criminal sanctions.

The administration’s actions reflect President Donald Trump’s broader campaign to strengthen election safeguards, particularly by addressing the possibility of noncitizens appearing on voter rolls or participating in elections. Although widespread fraud has not been established, isolated cases of voter fraud and noncitizen voting do occur and can be prosecuted under existing law.

Federal officials argue that states should cooperate with oversight efforts rather than treat requests for election data as improper federal interference. State officials, however, have raised concerns that sharing unredacted voter information could violate state privacy protections or enable the data to be used for purposes beyond election administration.

In one case, a Justice Department attorney acknowledged that the department sought unredacted voter-roll information so it could be shared with the Department of Homeland Security for citizenship-status checks.

Federal courts have repeatedly rejected Justice Department lawsuits seeking access to detailed state voter information. Attorney General Todd Blanche has indicated that the administration may ask the U.S. Supreme Court to resolve the dispute.

The preservation orders could give federal officials an opportunity to seek records later as the legal battles continue. The FBI has already obtained election records or equipment from major counties in Arizona, Georgia and Michigan, though officials have not said what specific evidence they are seeking.

Trump has also called on Congress to require proof of citizenship for voter registration and issued an executive order aimed at creating a federal voter list and changing the federal government’s role in election administration. Challenges to that order are pending before the Supreme Court.

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