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THE U-S DISTRICT COURT IN PORTLAND TO LEARN WHERE BOTH SIDES STAND GOING INTO TODAY’S HEARING. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND THE STATE OF MAINE MEETING WITH A FEDERAL JUDGE THIS MORNING AS THE FIGHT OVER MAINE’S VOTER INFORMATION CONTINUES TODAY. THE CASE COMES AFTER THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SENT A LETTER TO THE STATE REQUESTING MAINE DELIVER INFORMATION ON VOTER LIST MAINTENANCE AND A COPY OF A STATEWIDE VOTER REGISTRATION LIST SECRETARY OF STATE SHENNA BELLOWS, MAINE’S CHIEF ELECTIONS OFFICERS, REFUSED TO HAND OVER THOSE RECORDS — SHE AND THE STATE WERE SUED BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT JUST A FEW MONTHS LATER. THE DOJ CLAIMS THAT BY HOLDING OFF THAT INFORMATION, THE SECRETARY IS VIOLATING SEVERAL VOTING LAWS, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION ACT AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACT. THEY SAY THAT COULD COMPROMISE THE STATE’S ELECTION INTEGRITY. MEANWHILE BELLOWS ARGUES THAT INFORMATION THEY’RE ASKING FOR — LIKE PARTIAL SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS AND ADDRESSES — ARE PRIVATE… AND THAT THE D-O-J HASN’T PROVIDED GOOD ENOUGH REASONING TO ACCESS IT. THE STATES LEGAL TEAM ALSO RAISING A CONCERN OVER THE INFORMATION’S USE IN NATIONAL DATABASES. “WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY’RE GOING TO DO WITH THAT DATABASE, BUT ONE THING THAT WE STRONGLY SUSPECT IS THAT THEY’RE GOING TO THEY’RE GOING TO RUN IT AGAINST OTHER DATABASES THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS, AND THEN PRODUCE LISTS BACK TO THE STATES THAT SAY, WE WANT YOU TO REMOVE THESE PEOPLE FROM FROM YOUR LISTS, ” THE DOJ ARGUING THAT THERE IS CURRENTLY NO SUCH DATABASE, BUT THAT RUNNING VOTER INFORMATION AGAINST EXISTING DATABASES ISN’T UNPRECEDENTED. “COUNSEL HAS SUGGESTED THAT SOMEHOW THE UNITED STATES HAS NEVER ASKED FOR A STATEWIDE VOTER REGISTRATION LIST OR USED IT FOR THIS PURPOSE. THAT’S NOT TRUE. ” NOW, MAINE ISN’T THE ONLY STATE THAT’S BEEN SUBJECT TO LEGAL ACTION WHEN IT COMES TO ITS VOTER INFORMATION. JUST DOWN SOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE WAS ALSO NAMED IN A SIMILAR LAWSUI
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A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against Arizona seeking access to the state’s detailed voter records, the latest legal setback in a nationwide effort by the Trump administration.U.S. District Judge Susan Brnovich, a Trump appointee, wrote that Arizona’s statewide voter registration list is “not a document subject to request by the Attorney General” under federal law. The judge dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice because, she wrote, “amendment would be legally futile.”The dismissal of the Arizona lawsuit follows a string of other rulings against the Department of Justice in similar cases in other states. The DOJ has sued at least 30 states and the District of Columbia seeking to force release of detailed voter data, which includes dates of birth, addresses, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.In addition to Arizona, judges have rejected those attempts in Rhode Island, California, Massachusetts, Michigan and Oregon. In Georgia, a judge dismissed a DOJ lawsuit because it had been filed in the wrong city, prompting the government to refile elsewhere.The DOJ sued Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes in January for failing to comply with its request for the detailed voter information.”This moment is a win for voter privacy,” Fontes said in a statement. “I will never comply with illegal requests that put Arizona voters in harms way.”The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.At least 13 states have either provided or promised to provide their detailed voter registration lists to the department, according to the Brennan Center and Associated Press reporting: Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming.Federal officials say they need the voter data to ensure that states are complying with federal election laws related to maintaining voter registration lists. In the Rhode Island case, a Justice Department attorney acknowledged that the department was seeking unredacted voter roll information so it could be shared with the Department of Homeland Security to check citizenship status.Democratic and some Republican officials have objected to the requests and said such a demand violates state and federal privacy laws.
A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against Arizona seeking access to the state’s detailed voter records, the latest legal setback in a nationwide effort by the Trump administration.
U.S. District Judge Susan Brnovich, a Trump appointee, wrote that Arizona’s statewide voter registration list is “not a document subject to request by the Attorney General” under federal law. The judge dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice because, she wrote, “amendment would be legally futile.”
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The dismissal of the Arizona lawsuit follows a string of other rulings against the Department of Justice in similar cases in other states. The DOJ has sued at least 30 states and the District of Columbia seeking to force release of detailed voter data, which includes dates of birth, addresses, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.
In addition to Arizona, judges have rejected those attempts in Rhode Island, California, Massachusetts, Michigan and Oregon. In Georgia, a judge dismissed a DOJ lawsuit because it had been filed in the wrong city, prompting the government to refile elsewhere.
The DOJ sued Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes in January for failing to comply with its request for the detailed voter information.
“This moment is a win for voter privacy,” Fontes said in a statement. “I will never comply with illegal requests that put Arizona voters in harms way.”
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
At least 13 states have either provided or promised to provide their detailed voter registration lists to the department, according to the Brennan Center and Associated Press reporting: Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming.
Federal officials say they need the voter data to ensure that states are complying with federal election laws related to maintaining voter registration lists. In the Rhode Island case, a Justice Department attorney acknowledged that the department was seeking unredacted voter roll information so it could be shared with the Department of Homeland Security to check citizenship status.
Democratic and some Republican officials have objected to the requests and said such a demand violates state and federal privacy laws.
