Overview

• Over the past three months the DOJ’s Voting Section sent letters, emails and calls to election officials in 19 states demanding copies of voter registration lists and details on removal procedures.
• Department lawyers have contacted officials in at least seven states to propose formal information-sharing agreements on suspected voter fraud and noncitizen voting.
• Several states, including Minnesota and Colorado, have provided redacted data or refused full compliance, citing the Privacy Act of 1974 and their constitutional authority to run elections.
• The Justice Department filed suit against the North Carolina State Board of Elections for alleged violations of the Help America Vote Act related to voter registration records.
• Legal experts say the expanded fraud-focused enforcement marks a departure from the DOJ’s traditional voting-rights role and risks conflicting with federal data-privacy statutes.