Trump Management Demands Full Voter Data from Illinois, Sparks Privacy Concerns
Springfield, IL – The Justice Department (DOJ) is requesting Illinois’ complete voter registration database, a move that has raised concerns about voter privacy and the scope of the federal inquiry. The request, initially made on July 28th and reiterated on august 14th, demands access to all fields within the database, including sensitive personal data. The DOJ has set a deadline of September 1st for full compliance.
the DOJ claims the request is necessary to determine if illinois is adhering to the 1993 National Voter Registration Act, which mandates states maintain accurate and updated voter lists by regularly purging registrations of deceased individuals or those who have moved. They also requested data on the number of voters purged due to non-citizenship,legal incompetence,or felony convictions,as well as a list of election officials responsible for list maintenance as the November 2022 elections.
Illinois’ State Elections Board initially responded on august 11th, providing much of the requested information. This included a copy of the voter registration database containing names, addresses, voting history, and registration dates – data already accessible to political committees and other government agencies under state law. However, the board redacted sensitive information like dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers, citing protections under the federal Privacy Act of 1974, the Illinois Identity Protection Act, and the Illinois Personal Information Protection act.
The DOJ deemed the state’s response “insufficient” and is now insisting on access to the entire, unredacted database. They argue the full data, including driver’s license numbers and Social Security information, is required under the Help America Vote act (HAVA) of 2002 – a law enacted following the contested 2000 presidential election to establish minimum standards for election administration, including voter database maintenance.
However, the DOJ has not publicly explained why this detailed personal information is necessary for assessing Illinois’ compliance wiht voter list maintenance requirements.
This situation raises questions about the balance between federal oversight of elections and the protection of individual voter privacy.
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