VIA:
ACLU-Daily Docket
DOJ sues six states, escalating campaign to seize private voter data
The Department of Justice (DOJ) today sued six states — California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania — over their refusal to hand over sensitive voter registration data. Last week, the DOJ filed nearly identical lawsuits against Maine and Oregon.
The lawsuits mark an aggressive escalation in the DOJ's ongoing effort to force states to hand over their voter rolls and list maintenance records — including individual voters’ sensitive information like address, driver’s license number and partial social security number.
“This isn’t just about a data request,” Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) said to Democracy Docket. Though the DOJ has not filed a lawsuit against Arizona, Fontes has forcefully rejected the department’s demand to hand over its voter registration data.
“It’s about protecting your privacy, your security, and your fundamental right to vote free from unnecessary federal overreach,” Fontes said. “Once that information leaves our custody, there is no guarantee about how it’s handled, where it ends up, or whether it's properly secured. To date, there has been no clear legal justification or transparent explanation for these demands.”
