A judge has rejected the US Justice Department’s request to obtain unredacted New Jersey voter-roll records. The ruling limits the department’s access to sensitive personal information and underscores the legal tension between federal election oversight and state protections for voter privacy.

The dispute concerns voter-registration data that the Justice Department sought from New Jersey while reviewing compliance with federal election laws. Unredacted rolls can contain personal details such as names, addresses and dates of birth, so the decision leaves the department with less detailed information unless it successfully appeals or makes a revised request.