DOJ Requesting Voting Information from States

Officials from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have announced plans to gather voting and election-related information from all 50 states, as stated by a national organization that comprises various state election officials.

Recently, the DOJ issued letters to several states, including at least nine, asking for details relevant to maintaining voter lists in accordance with the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.

Some of these letters requested state voter registration lists, raising concerns among Democrats and voting rights advocates about the potential misuse of data under the Trump administration.

The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) expressed that their staff had reached out to the DOJ for further clarity after states began receiving correspondence. Maria Benson, a spokesperson for NASS, mentioned in a statement that DOJ representatives indicated they would eventually reach out to all states concerning NVRA and HAVA issues.

The DOJ has not provided details regarding its plans for handling voter registration data when asked by media outlets.

Several states have pushed back against sharing comprehensive voter registration records due to privacy concerns, as these records often contain sensitive information, like partial Social Security numbers.

For instance, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin have outright refused to provide the complete lists. In Maine, Democratic Secretary Shenna Bellows also plans to dismiss similar requests, suggesting that the DOJ can “dive into the Gulf of Maine” for such information.

This heightened focus on elections follows directives from President Trump, who in March instructed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondy to collect information from state officials regarding alleged election fraud. This move has linked funding approvals and grants to the cooperation of certain states.