Federal scrutiny of state voter rolls has intensified following new claims from Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, who says early reviews have uncovered significant irregularities. Speaking on Sunday Morning Futures, Dhillon outlined findings from an initial batch of 60 million voter records examined by federal officials.
According to Dhillon, the review identified at least 350,000 deceased individuals still listed on voter rolls across multiple jurisdictions. She also stated that roughly 25,000 individuals lacking confirmed U.S. citizenship records had been referred to the Department of Homeland Security for further investigation. The scope of those referrals, she said, includes determining whether any of those individuals may have cast ballots.
The Department of Justice has paired those findings with legal action. The Trump administration has filed lawsuits against multiple states, alleging failure to comply with federal statutes such as the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.
These laws govern how states maintain voter registration lists and ensure access to the electoral process. Dhillon argued that even states attempting to meet those standards are falling short, describing widespread inconsistencies in how voter eligibility is tracked and verified.
Legal resistance from states has slowed that effort. Dhillon said 29 states and the District of Columbia have refused to provide full access to voter rolls, despite provisions in the Civil Rights Act of 1960 that grant the attorney general authority to inspect such records. In several instances, federal judges have ruled against the administration’s requests, prompting expedited appeals now moving through the Ninth and Sixth Circuit Courts.
Specific cases have also drawn attention. Dhillon referenced a recent indictment in Minnesota involving a non-citizen accused of voting, using it to highlight what she described as vulnerabilities in certain state laws.
She pointed in particular to Minnesota’s “vouching” system, which allows registered voters to attest to another individual’s eligibility, calling it inconsistent with federal standards.
The issue has also reached the executive level. In March 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Election Assistance Commission to revise federal voter registration forms to require proof of citizenship, adding another layer to the ongoing effort to tighten verification procedures.
The review process remains ongoing, with further legal challenges and data analysis expected as the Department of Justice continues to press states for access and compliance.
