Rhode Island’s top election official says he has been put on notice by the U.S. Justice Department, which warned that state and local election officers could face criminal liability if noncitizens remain on voter rolls or cast ballots in federal contests.
Federal demand renews tensions over voter rolls
Secretary of State Gregg Amore on Friday released a July 7 letter from Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon asking for a detailed outline of the steps Rhode Island is taking to maintain “clean voter lists” and comply with federal law within five days. Amore, a Democrat, described the correspondence as an attempt to intimidate election officials.
"The letter's true intention was obvious: to intimidate election officials in an effort to make us fall in line with the administration's unconstitutional overreaches into election administration," Amore said in a statement.
Dhillon’s seven-page communication includes a legal memo pointing to federal requirements that states keep voter registration records updated to ensure only citizens vote in federal elections. The letter also notes that election officers who knowingly retain ineligible registrants or enable noncitizens to vote could be subject to criminal charges.
How Rhode Island responded
Amore replied with a brief two-paragraph letter asserting that state and local officials are familiar with federal obligations and that Rhode Island's voter list maintenance practices are robust. His office emphasized confidence that state elections are run in compliance with both state and federal rules.
This exchange follows earlier friction between Rhode Island and the Justice Department: Amore declined last year to turn over sensitive voter-roll data to the DOJ, prompting a federal lawsuit. A federal judge in April denied unspecified DOJ demands related to the request.
- July 7: DOJ letter from Assistant AG Harmeet Dhillon to state election officials.
- December (previous year): Amore resisted DOJ access to Rhode Island voter-roll data, triggering litigation.
- April 17: U.S. District Judge Mary S. McElroy denied some DOJ demands.
Election administrators in Rhode Island — from the Secretary of State’s office to local registrars — now face renewed scrutiny and a tight timeline on federal questions about voter-list maintenance. While the state insists it follows the law, the DOJ has sent similar letters to every state as it presses the issue nationally.
| Item | Date |
|---|---|
| DOJ letter to Rhode Island | July 7 |
| Federal court ruling denying DOJ demands | April 17 |
| DOJ sought voter data (triggered lawsuit) | December (previous year) |
The immediate practical effect for Rhode Island voters is limited — there is no indication of widescale noncitizen voting in the state — but the dispute could shape procedures for how officials handle sensitive voter data and respond to federal oversight going into the midterm elections.
