The Republican National Committee (RNC) has filed a new election-integrity lawsuit against Maryland state officials, alleging major discrepancies in voter-registration data and claiming that the state has failed to follow federal requirements for maintaining accurate voter lists. The lawsuit, filed Friday, marks the latest in an expanding series of legal actions across the country involving how states manage voter rolls and comply with federal election laws.
According to the complaint, several Maryland counties are reporting registration numbers that appear significantly higher than expected. The RNC alleges that two of the state’s most populous counties have more registered voters than adult citizens who live there. In addition, ten more counties reportedly show voter-registration rates exceeding 95% of their adult-citizen populations. For comparison, 2022 Census Bureau estimates place Maryland’s overall voter-registration rate at just under 76%.
RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said the lawsuit reflects concerns raised by members and residents who want reassurance that voter rolls are being updated properly. “Marylanders deserve to have confidence in their elections and to know that their state is properly maintaining its voter rolls,” Gruters said in a statement. “The State Board of Elections has failed to do its job and remove ineligible or deceased voters from its rolls. Marylanders have a right to accurate voter rolls, which is why the RNC is suing today.”
The lawsuit alleges that Maryland officials are not making reasonable or required efforts under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) to keep voter lists current. The NVRA requires states to regularly remove ineligible voters — including individuals who have died, moved out of state, or are registered more than once.
This is not the first time Maryland’s voter-registration processes have drawn scrutiny. A 2023 report from the Office of Legislative Audits found issues within the State Board of Elections’ data review practices. The audit identified more than 2,400 potentially deceased individuals still listed as active registered voters and 327 people who appeared to have duplicate registrations. Although election officials have stressed in past years that such data errors do not automatically translate into fraudulent voting, the presence of these inaccuracies has fueled concerns about administrative oversight and procedural gaps.
The RNC lawsuit argues that failing to maintain accurate voter rolls can undermine public trust in elections. According to the complaint, inaccurate lists “burden the right to vote” by discouraging participation and creating fear that lawful votes may be “nullified or diluted by unlawful votes.” The lawsuit does not claim specific incidents of illegal voting but instead focuses on alleged failures to follow federal maintenance standards.
Adding to the legal pressure, the U.S. Department of Justice has also filed its own lawsuit against Maryland, citing failure to provide federally requested voter-registration lists. The DOJ recently initiated a broad effort requiring more than half of U.S. states to update or improve the upkeep of their voter rolls. As part of that initiative, federal prosecutors are examining states’ voter-registration practices for irregularities, outdated entries, and potentially missing list-maintenance procedures.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet J. Dhillon told Just the News that investigators believe some states may have neglected their duties intentionally. Dhillon alleged that certain states have allowed voter-roll problems to persist through years of under-maintenance. “The sloppiness of the elections in blue states is no accident. It is on purpose,” Dhillon claimed during an interview. She further framed the issue as one of ensuring compliance with federal law rather than an accusation of wrongdoing by individual voters.
Her comments came shortly after the DOJ filed lawsuits against six states governed by Democrats — Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island, New Mexico, Washington State, and Vermont. The filings seek court orders requiring those states to supply voter-registration records to federal investigators so they can review the accuracy of voter lists and identify potential federal violations. The DOJ has indicated that it will examine duplicated entries, outdated registrations, and errors resulting from failure to track residential changes.
Dhillon said her office’s efforts are part of a long-term plan to improve election administration nationwide. She also recently reached an agreement with North Carolina requiring the state to review more than 100,000 voter registrations that were added without meeting state requirements, including missing documentation or missing residency confirmation.
As of now, Dhillon stated that the DOJ is on track to require at least 26 states to review and update voter rolls through a combination of litigation, negotiated settlements, and voluntary compliance agreements. “We’re now in litigation with 14 states,” she said, noting that the six new lawsuits add to eight earlier cases already filed or pending in federal court.
Election-integrity disputes have become an increasingly prominent part of national politics over the past several years, especially as states expand mail-in voting or update their registration systems. While some advocacy groups argue that aggressive list-maintenance practices risk removing eligible voters, others insist that failing to maintain accurate lists erodes public trust and leaves elections vulnerable to errors or administrative issues.
Maryland election officials have not yet released a detailed public response to the RNC’s lawsuit. In past audits, state officials have acknowledged certain database and record-tracking challenges while also noting that discrepancies do not necessarily lead to improper voting or tabulation errors. The State Board of Elections has traditionally maintained that voter fraud is extremely rare and that Maryland elections remain secure.
Legal experts predict that the outcome of the lawsuit could influence how Maryland updates its voter-registration procedures in the coming years. Lawsuits involving the NVRA often lead to negotiated adjustments in data-sharing practices, list-maintenance schedules, and communication between state and federal agencies. Some observers believe Maryland may need to invest in additional auditing resources or modernization efforts to streamline voter-list maintenance and ensure compliance with federal expectations.
The debate over voter rolls is not unique to Maryland. Similar lawsuits have surfaced in several states as policymakers argue over the best balance between election access and election security. While many states emphasize expanded voter participation, others focus on preventing administrative inaccuracies and ensuring each registration remains current and verifiable.
Regardless of political framing, the core issues raised in the lawsuit — such as database accuracy, administrative oversight, and trust in election systems — are expected to remain topics of national conversation heading into future election cycles.
For now, Maryland’s legal teams, the RNC, and federal officials will prepare for what is likely to be a multi-stage legal process involving hearings, reviews of state records, and potential settlement negotiations. Any changes implemented as a result of this case may have ripple effects throughout the state’s election procedures, particularly in how local officials verify registrations and monitor eligibility records.
As investigations continue, Maryland voters and political observers across the country will closely watch the next steps. The outcome could shape not only Maryland’s electoral infrastructure but also broader national expectations for how states handle voter-roll maintenance and compliance with federal election law.