Lawsuit Filed Against San Francisco Elections Director Over Voter Roll Data Transparency

San Francisco, CA – The San Francisco Director of Elections, John Arntz, and the City and County of San Francisco are facing a lawsuit demanding greater transparency regarding voter registration data. Filed on June 19, 2025, by election integrity advocate Shiloh Marx, the legal action seeks to compel the disclosure of specific voter registration statistics, particularly concerning inactive voters and their participation in federal elections.

The lawsuit, titled Marx v. County of San Francisco, et al., was initiated in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. It alleges that the defendants violated the California Public Records Act (CPRA) and the California Constitution by failing to fully release requested voter registration statistics. Marx's request, initially made on March 7, 2025, and clarified on March 17, 2025, aimed to assess election integrity and ensure compliance with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

Shiloh Marx, founder and director of the California Election Integrity Initiative, has been a vocal proponent of scrutinizing voter rolls. Marx's website states a dedication to "Cleaning California Voter Rolls" and claims to have achieved a net reduction of 1.2 million inactive voters across various California counties through records requests. The current lawsuit highlights the public's right to access government records to promote transparency in election administration.

The legal challenge comes amidst broader discussions in California and nationwide regarding voter roll maintenance. States are federally mandated to maintain accurate voter registration lists under the NVRA, which outlines procedures for adding, removing, and updating voter information. While election officials regularly update rolls based on factors like death or relocation, conservative groups have increasingly filed lawsuits and public records requests to challenge the accuracy of these lists, often citing concerns about "ineligible voters."

The California Secretary of State's office has acknowledged receiving "massive voter challenge lists" from third-party individuals or organizations, noting concerns about the methodologies used by some proprietary data-matching programs. These efforts often face scrutiny for potentially leading to the disenfranchisement of eligible voters. The lawsuit filed by Marx seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, aiming to affirm the alleged violation and force the release of the withheld voter data, underscoring the ongoing tension between voter access and election integrity concerns.