A federal judge has denied the U.S. Department of Justice's attempt to obtain sensitive voter registration information from Rhode Island, marking the latest setback in the federal government's efforts to access state voting data.

U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy issued the decision rejecting the DOJ's request for Rhode Island's voter registration lists. The ruling represents the fifth unsuccessful attempt by the Justice Department to secure such information from state governments.

The Justice Department has been seeking access to voter registration data from multiple states as part of what appears to be a broader initiative to examine voting records. However, these efforts have consistently faced resistance from both state officials and federal courts.

The specific details of what information the DOJ sought from Rhode Island and the legal reasoning behind Judge McElroy's decision were not immediately available. The rejection follows a pattern of similar rulings in other jurisdictions where federal judges have blocked the Justice Department's requests for state voter data.

The ongoing legal disputes highlight tensions between federal and state authorities over access to sensitive election-related information and voter privacy protections.