PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) — The Department of Justice said Tuesday it sued Oregon and Maine for not taking over the voter’s registered list, marking the first lawsuit the department has brought against the nation. Wide range of efforts Get detailed voter data.
The department said the state is violating federal law by refusing to provide an electronic copy of the state’s voter registration list and an electronic copy of information about ineligible voters. Oregon added that it has not provided information on how to maintain its voter list.
Oregon and Maine are one of at least 26 states, according to Associated Press Tally.
“States cannot select and choose federal laws they adhere to, including voting laws that allow all American citizens to access votes equally in federal elections,” said Halham K. Dillon, aide of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
A spokesperson for the Oregon and Maine Secretary of State offices said Tuesday they had not yet received notice of the lawsuit. Messages left to the Department of Justice requesting a copy of the court filing were not immediately returned.
Some states decline or break down Voter Registration Data Requestcites the failure of its own state law or the Department of Justice to fulfill its federal privacy law obligations. Federal officials have sent additional letters requesting voter data on short deadlines.
While some states send an edited version of the commonly available voter list, the Department of Justice explicitly requests on multiple occasions a copy containing personally identifiable information, including voter name, date of birth, address, driver’s license number, or partial Social Security number.
The department also threatened to sues Minnesota and California.
Main Secretary of State Shena Bellows was one of the most vocal state secretaries who refused to share information. The Justice Department issued a second request for state voter data in August after she rejected her first request, her office said in a statement last week.
“Maine has some of the best elections in the country,” Bellows said in a statement Tuesday. “It’s ridiculous that the Justice Department is targeting our state when Republican and Democrat secretaries across the country are fighting this federal abuse just like we do.”
Oregon Secretary Tobias Reid had similar comments on Tuesday.
“If the president wants to use the DOJ to chase his political opponents and undermine the election, I look forward to seeing them in court,” he said in a statement. “I have made a pledge to the people of Oregon and I will protect their rights and privacy.”
Justice Department outreach has raised vigilance among some election officials because it does not have the constitutional authority to hold elections. That authority is granted to the states and legislatures. Federal law also protects individual data from sharing with the federal government.
The department says it needs to access detailed voter data to ensure that election officials are in compliance with federal election laws. Election officials challenged it, raising concerns that federal officials were trying to use sensitive data for other purposes, such as searching for potential non-citizens on the role.
In another request, the Department of Justice requested in August Access to the voting machine It was used in the 2020 election in Missouri. It’s not clear why the department conducted the investigation, but it came just two months after President Donald Trump asked for it. Special Prosecutor To investigate the elections of that year He lost To Joe Biden, a Democrat.
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Swenson reported from New York.
