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The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, also known as the Voter Fraud Commission, was established by President Donald Trump in May 2017.
The commission asked all 50 states and the District of Columbia to provide voter information. This request faced strong bipartisan opposition: 44 states and the District of Columbia refused to supply some or all the data.
At first, then-Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale agreed, but he later requested confirmation that the request met Nebraska law, explanations of how the data would be used and secured and information about any public disclosure.
In 2017, I joined five other Nebraska state senators in objecting to the Trump administration’s request in a letter to the secretary of state. Because states were unwilling to share information and several lawsuits were filed, the commission was disbanded in January 2018, and Nebraska did not provide the requested data on voters.
The U.S. Constitution gives states the authority to conduct elections for U.S. senators and representatives, allowing them to set the “Times, Places, and Manner” of these elections as described in Article I, Section 4, Clause 1.
While Congress can modify these rules, other than where U.S. senators are chosen from, this clause was designed to prevent states from undermining federal elections. Ironically, the federal executive branch is now threatening to impede fair state elections.
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Following the 2020 presidential election, Trump’s campaign and others filed 62 lawsuits challenging various aspects of election processes, vote counting and certification across nine states. The lawsuits were either dismissed or withdrawn because there wasn’t enough evidence or proper legal standing. Despite this, the president continues to claim widespread electoral fraud favoring Democrats in 2020.
Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has introduced measures to increase federal control over state election systems. One such measure was a March executive order requiring proof of citizenship for federal election registration.
The Justice Department also is seeking unredacted voter registration information from states to create a national voter database. Some experts have raised concerns that this could lead to false accusations and undermine public trust.
Nebraska hands over potentially sensitive voter data to DOJ during legal fight
Case in point: A Virginia TV station, WTKR, reported that a Virginia elections employee “inadvertently” shared a state-registered voter list that included personal information on March 6, 2023, according to the Virginia Department of Elections. Officials said the action was unintentional.
Wider dissemination of confidential voter information to the federal government is a real danger.
Linking voter records to social media can jeopardize privacy, lead to identity theft and fuel false fraud claims. Voters worry about misuse of their data, making secret ballots essential for anonymity and election integrity.
ICE’s reported use of facial recognition technology at protests has raised concerns about privacy and civil liberties. Mobile Fortify, an app that scans faces and gathers personal details, is prompting questions about its impact on First Amendment rights and programs like Global Entry and TSA Precheck.
Some demonstrators in Minneapolis have reportedly lost TSA Precheck privileges. In response, civil liberties organizations are calling on the Department of Homeland Security to suspend use of the technology and create transparent rules for its use.
It is regrettable that current Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen decided recently to disclose Nebraska’s confidential voter records. The truth is that there are enormous national and personal risks for disclosure of voter information, and I fear the Trump administration will weaponize our personal voter files for nefarious purposes.
John McCollister was elected to the Nebraska Legislature in 2014. He served two terms.
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