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University of Wisconsin Law State Democracy Research Initiative
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University of Wisconsin Law State Democracy Research Initiative

UW Law research centre tracking DOJ voter-roll lawsuits against 30 states and DC.

Last refreshed: 16 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

How has the UW Law tracker shaped public understanding of DOJ voter-roll litigation scope?

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Common Questions
What is the UW Law State Democracy Research Initiative?
It is a non-partisan research centre at the University of Wisconsin Law School that tracks state election law, redistricting, and voting rights litigation. Its 2026 tracker documents DOJ voter-roll suits against 30 states and DC.
How many states has the DOJ sued over voter rolls in 2026?
The University of Wisconsin Law State Democracy Research Initiative's tracker records DOJ suits against 30 states plus the District of Columbia as of April 2026.Source: UW Law State Democracy Research Initiative
Where can I find a tracker of DOJ voter roll lawsuits?
The State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School maintains a publicly available tracker of DOJ voter-registration litigation, documenting suits against 30 states and DC in 2026.Source: event

Background

The State Democracy Research Initiative is a non-partisan research centre housed at the University of Wisconsin Law School that tracks state-level election law, redistricting, and voting rights litigation. Its voter-roll lawsuit tracker, updated in April 2026, records Department of Justice suits against 30 states plus the District of Columbia — a figure that has become the standard citation across media coverage and litigation filings documenting the scale of the Trump administration's voter-registration campaign.

Founded within the Law School's nationally recognised election law programme, the Initiative produces policy analyses, court-filing trackers, and comparative legislative studies used by journalists, policymakers, and litigants on both sides of voting-rights disputes. Its work is cited in federal court briefings and Congressional testimony.

In the 2026 cycle the Initiative's documentation of the 30-state scope of DOJ litigation has been particularly significant: it provides independent corroboration of a campaign that the administration has described in more limited terms, and it creates a public record that advocacy organisations including Democracy Forward have used to frame their FOIA and litigation strategy against the DOJ.