
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
How has the UW Law tracker shaped public understanding of DOJ voter-roll litigation scope?
Timeline for University of Wisconsin Law State Democracy Research Initiative
Mentioned in: 9th Circuit hears first DOJ voter-data appeal
US Midterms 2026Recorded five dismissals across the original 30-state suit wave
US Midterms 2026: Four more courts toss DOJ voter-data suitsMentioned in: Massachusetts court kills DOJ voter suit
US Midterms 2026What is the UW Law State Democracy Research Initiative?
How many states has the DOJ sued over voter rolls in 2026?
Where can I find a tracker of DOJ voter roll lawsuits?
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.