9th Circuit
US federal appeals court scheduled to hear the Oregon DOJ voter-data appeal on 19 May 2026.
Last refreshed: 28 April 2026 · Appears in 2 active topics
Will the 9th Circuit uphold the rulings that blocked the DOJ voter database?
Timeline for 9th Circuit
Scheduled Oregon DOJ voter-data appeal oral argument for 19 May 2026
US Midterms 2026: 9th Circuit hears Oregon DOJ appeal 19 MayReceived DJI Opposition Brief and six-month abeyance request in Case 26-1029
Drones: Industry & Defence: DJI puts $1.56bn on Ninth Circuit record- When is the 9th Circuit hearing the Oregon voter data case?
- The 9th Circuit is scheduled to hear oral argument in the Oregon DOJ voter-data appeal on 19 May 2026.Source: 9th Circuit scheduling, April 2026
- What states does the 9th Circuit cover?
- The 9th Circuit covers nine western states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, plus Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
- What would it mean if the 9th Circuit overturns the Oregon ruling?
- A reversal would reopen the DOJ voter-data lawsuit against Oregon and potentially provide circuit-level authority to revive similar suits in California, Michigan, and Rhode Island, all dismissed using the same legal reasoning.
Background
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is the largest of the 13 US federal appellate courts, covering nine western states including California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Nevada, with 29 active judgeships. It is scheduled to hear oral argument in the Oregon DOJ voter-data appeal on 19 May 2026 — the first appellate test of whether the portable dismissal reasoning used to defeat DOJ voter-data lawsuits in five district courts holds up under circuit-level scrutiny.
The May 19 hearing carries disproportionate national significance: a 9th Circuit affirmance would consolidate the district-court dismissals across California, Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, making it substantially harder for DOJ to pursue voter-data access across those states. A reversal would reopen the lawsuits and potentially provide circuit authority the DOJ could invoke in other jurisdictions.
The 9th Circuit covers a significant portion of the Democratic electoral Coalition, including California's 52 House seats and Oregon's four. Its rulings on elections administration issues carry particular weight in races that could determine House control after November 2026.