Overview

• Government documents reviewed by Reuters show the Justice Department is discussing transferring state voter-roll data to Homeland Security Investigations for use in criminal and immigration probes.
• The Civil Rights Division has requested voter registration lists from at least 24 states, seeking complete rolls from at least 22 and, in follow-up letters, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
• A DHS spokesperson acknowledged work on an information-sharing plan, while DOJ maintains it is acting under federal authority to ensure only eligible voters participate in federal elections.
• State resistance has intensified as several states refused or limited compliance, and a South Carolina judge ordered the state election commission not to release its voter list pending a privacy challenge.
• Legal experts say the effort is unprecedented and may conflict with the Privacy Act and prior norms; DOJ officials told state leaders similar requests would eventually go to all 50 states.