I’m urging you to act immediately to protect the privacy of voter registration data and to safeguard every American’s right to vote freely—without intimidation, targeting, or government overreach. The U.S. Department of Justice has sought comprehensive statewide voter registration files from numerous states and has even sued states to compel disclosure of full electronic voter rolls and related list-maintenance details. State officials warn this is federal overreach and a direct threat to privacy and state control over elections. Congress must step in.
We have seen this before. In 2017, the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity—led by Kris Kobach—asked states for extensive voter data including names, addresses, dates of birth, party affiliation, voting history, felony records, and even the last four digits of Social Security numbers. Many states refused; civil-rights groups sued, citing privacy and misuse risks. That commission was eventually disbanded, but the template for mass data grabs remains—and it should not be resurrected.
Why this matters now: Building a large, centralized federal trove of personally identifiable voter data invites abuse—whether to push false fraud narratives, pressure election officials, or chill participation through fear of being targeted. Such databases could be misused to justify aggressive and error-prone voter “purges” or to facilitate politicized investigations. That’s not election integrity; it’s a blueprint for suppression.
Congress should:
1. Prohibit bulk federal collection of state voter rolls without clear statutory mandate, narrow scope, and independent oversight.
2. Bar sharing of voter-roll data for non-election uses.
3. Establish robust privacy and cybersecurity standards for any lawful exchanges.
4. Require transparency whenever federal agencies request state voter data.
5. Enforce strong penalties for misuse.
Protecting voter privacy and ballot access should unite both parties. Please move legislation that locks down voter data, stops coercive federal demands, and ensures Americans can register and vote without fear. Our democracy depends on participation—never on surveillance.
First sent on September 24 by Coleman
