(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuit seeking access to Illinois’ unredacted voter registration database draws praise from an election integrity advocate, who says the move enforces long-standing federal law rather than partisan politics.

The DOJ filed suit Thursday in federal court in Springfield seeking access to Illinois’ voter rolls, making Illinois at least the 19th state sued as the federal government enforces voter list maintenance laws under the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.