Statement from Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights on Supreme Court Allowing Voter Screening Tool Ahead of Midterm Elections
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 25, 2026
Contact:
Zindy Marquez
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
zmarquez@clccrul.org
Statement from Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights on Supreme Court Allowing Voter Screening Tool Ahead of Midterm Elections
CHICAGO, IL — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the Trump administration can move forward with use of an unreliable voter database ahead of the midterm elections that could disenfranchise many eligible voters. This decision allows the Trump administration to continue efforts to create a federal database using Department of Homeland Security data to cross-check voter information against citizenship and social security records in their efforts to verify the eligibility of voters on state rolls. It's unclear how this will impact voters ahead of Election Day given it is voluntary for states to participate, and existing laws block systemic voter purges within 90 days before an election.
Aneel Chablani, Vice President and Legal Director at Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, issued the following statement:
"After losing 25-0 so far in their efforts to obtain states’ voter rolls and failing in attempts to restrict mail-in voting for the upcoming midterm elections, the Trump administration's push for a federal voter database is their latest desperate attempt to control who gets to participate in our elections.
The Supreme Court's decision allowing the Trump administration to move forward with this unreliable voter screening tool ahead of the midterm elections is deeply alarming and could disenfranchise eligible voters. Voters already affirm their eligibility under penalty of perjury when registering to vote and the data proves voter fraud is extremely rare.
In a democracy, our federal government should be encouraging eligible voters to cast their ballots – not manipulating voting processes to control who can participate or sowing doubt about the security of our elections.
What's most important for voters to do right now is exercise their right to vote. Make a plan to vote, vote early, and follow your local election officials' direction closely. Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights will continue to monitor this issue closely to ensure voters do not face barriers to civic participation. If voters have any questions or concerns, they can call the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE for assistance."
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