Justice Department Has Demanded Voter Files from at Least 22 States
Originally published by Eileen O’Connor for Brennan Center for Justice
Months of unprecedented actions signal that the Trump administration is pursuing a concerted strategy to undermine the next election. One part of that effort is an ongoing attempt to collect voter files from many states.
In May, the Justice Department began demanding copies of states’ voter registration databases, including sensitive information such as driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of voters’ Social Security numbers. It has been publicly reported that the DOJ has requested information or meetings about election administration from at least 26 states, and it has asked at least 22 of those states for copies of their voter registration lists. The actual number of requests may be higher. The Brennan Center is using public reporting to track the DOJ’s requests and states’ responses.
Few states have sent the DOJ their voter files, and those that did — at least 11 — seem to have provided only the publicly available versions of their voter files, which vary by state but may include information such as voter names, addresses, partisan affiliations, and voting history. In early August, the DOJ stepped up its efforts to collect voter files by sending a new set of letters — this time signed by the head of the Civil Rights Division — reiterating its demands for copies of the full voter registration databases, including driver’s license numbers and Social Security numbers.