The Justice Department can’t access New York’s unredacted voter roll, a judge said in handing the federal government yet another loss in court in its quest to obtain the lists from all 50 states.

DOJ’s demand to state elections officials didn’t state a proper “basis” and “purpose” required by federal law to obtain the voter registration records it seeks, Judge Mae A. D’Agostino of the US District Court for the Northern District of New York said July 10 as she dismissed the lawsuit.

However, the federal government’s claim under the Civil Rights Act of 1960 “fails at the outset for an even more fundamental reason” because it “is simply not entitled” to the state roll complete with sensitive voter infomration, wrote D’Agostino, an appointee of President Barack Obama.