OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the state after it refused to turn over sensitive voter information.

The Justice Department’s lawsuit accuses Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs of violating federal law by not sharing the state’s full voter registration database.

The DOJ asked for the information in September to examine whether the state is properly removing ineligible voters and correctly verifying registrations.

“Accurate voter rolls are the cornerstone of fair and free elections, and too many states have fallen into a pattern of noncompliance with basic voter roll maintenance,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice will continue filing proactive election integrity litigation until states comply with basic election safeguards.”

My Bellingham Now previously reported that Hobbs denied the request roughly two weeks later.

The data includes some information that’s considered protected under state law, including partial Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers and birth dates.

But the Justice Department argues in its complaint that state public disclosure laws aren’t subject to federal investigations.

It’s asking a federal judge to order Hobbs to turn over the state’s entire voter database within five days of the court’s order.