The Department of Justice has asked numerous states for voter registration information as part of its election security push.
Pennsylvania’s voter rolls, containing information like address and Social Security numbers, were at the center of a request from the Department of Justice as it investigates election integrity. Pennsylvania election officials received the written request earlier this week, and is part of a broader effort to ensure states are enforcing federal election laws.
Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Wisconsin are among the states that have turned over the required information, while Pennsylvania is yet to formally respond to the DOJ. The letters have reportedly been focused on finding potential voter fraud or voting from illegal immigrants.
The formal letter for Pennsylvania was sent to Secretary of State Al Schmidt on Aug. 4th, and specified the required information. While the DOJ has worked with Pennsylvania officials regarding election data, the state’s official voter rolls were not part of previous discussions.
“We write to you as the chief election official for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to request information regarding the Commonwealth’s procedures for complying with the statewide voter registration list maintenance provisions of the National Voter Registration Act,” the letter said. Redacted versions of Pennsylvania’s voter rolls are available online and can be downloaded for $20, but do not include personal information like driver’s license ID numbers and Social Security numbers.
Other states have refused the DOJ’s requests, or have sent over versions of voter rolls that do not include the information redacted in online copies. Most recently, the Trump administration sued Orange County, California for failing to disclose requested driver’s license and social security numbers of some individuals listed on voter rolls. Others have argued that the Trump administration is unreasonable in its requests and has asked for more data than it needs.
In a statement defending the administration’s actions, assistant attorney general for civil rights Harmeet Dhillon said clean voter rolls are “requisites for free, fair and transparent elections. The DOJ Civil Rights Division has a statutory mandate to enforce our federal voting rights laws, and ensuring the voting public’s confidence in the integrity of our elections is a top priority of this administration,” the statement said.
In addition to voter rolls, the DOJ is seeking information on past behavior of any voting non-citizens, those with past felony convictions, or individuals deemed incompetent and has been removed from the rolls in the last two federal elections. According to the letter, Pennsylvania has 14 days to respond to the request.
