Three voting and privacy rights organizations filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging a Department of Homeland Security effort to collect voter data. The plaintiffs allege the Trump administration's program to compile millions of Americans' voter records violates federal privacy laws and exceeds the agency's legal authority.

What is the DHS voter data collection?

The lawsuit claims that over the last 18 months, DHS has obtained voter registration files from at least 47 states. The agency is accused of building a nationwide database to investigate claims of voter fraud by combining state records with information purchased from commercial data brokers.

According to the complaint, the collected files may contain highly sensitive personal information, such as:

  • Social Security numbers
  • Driver’s license numbers
  • Dates of birth
  • Home addresses
  • Voting histories and political affiliations

Legal context and state resistance

This legal challenge arrives amid ongoing friction between the federal government and state election officials. While some states complied with the administration's demands by providing unredacted voter rolls, the Department of Justice has also sued 30 states and the District of Columbia to obtain their records.

Judges have previously upheld the rights of states to decline handing over their lists to the federal government. This lawsuit follows a recent decision by a federal judge in D.C. who found the Department of Justice's efforts to acquire state rolls to be illegal.

Why are groups suing over this data?

The League of Women Voters, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, and the League of United Latin American Citizens argue the agency is conducting a "voter-fraud dragnet" that disregards federal safeguards. The groups contend that DHS was created to address terrorism and border security rather than to monitor the exercise of constitutional rights.

The plaintiffs, represented by Democracy Forward and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, are asking a federal court in Washington, D.C., to declare the collection illegal. They are also requesting a court order to force the government to delete the information it has already gathered.

FAQ

Which organizations filed the lawsuit?

The suit was brought by the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, and the League of Women Voters.

How many states provided records?

The complaint alleges that DHS has obtained voter registration files from at least 47 states.