Justice Department Seeks Voter and Election Data from at Least 15 States

NEW YORK — The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a broad effort to collect voter registration lists and election-related data from at least 15 states, according to an Associated Press investigation. The requests, made over the past three months through letters, emails, and phone calls, have sparked alarm among state election officials, who fear potential federal overreach and misuse of sensitive voter information.

The Justice Department’s voting section has targeted states with Democratic, Republican, and bipartisan election administrations, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Utah, and Wisconsin. Oklahoma received a request by phone. In Colorado, the department demanded “all records” related to the 2024 election and any retained from the 2020 election, a move that has heightened scrutiny due to the state’s history of election-related controversies.

The requests often include questions about state compliance with federal voting laws, such as procedures for removing duplicate registrations, deceased voters, or noncitizens from voter rolls. Some inquiries are state-specific, citing data from a recent U.S. Election Assistance Commission survey. In California, officials in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, and San Francisco reported requests for voter roll records, including details on noncitizen removals, voting histories, dates of birth, and ID numbers.

The Justice Department has also proposed “information-sharing agreements” with at least seven states to address alleged instances of voting or election fraud, with one email sent by a senior counsel in the criminal division referencing a March executive order by President Trump. The order directs the attorney general to maximize information-sharing with state election officials. However, some officials worry these efforts could lead to the creation of a national voter database or policies that might disenfranchise eligible voters.

Election officials across the political spectrum have expressed unease. “Is this a backdoor way to get access to data that the statutes have said [they’re] not entitled to have?” asked Ann Jacobs, the Democratic chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Concerns are amplified by the department’s recent lawsuit against Orange County, California, seeking driver’s license numbers and signature images of individuals removed from voter rolls for noncitizenship.

David Becker, a former Justice Department lawyer and head of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, criticized the requests as a departure from the department’s traditional independence, describing them as potential “fishing expeditions.” He noted that federal law, including the Privacy Act of 1974, imposes strict guidelines on collecting personal data, and states are not obligated to comply with such requests.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the AP’s inquiries, leaving many questions unanswered. The National Association of Secretaries of State, informed by the department that “all states would be contacted eventually,” has invited officials to a virtual meeting to clarify the purpose of these requests.

The outreach comes amid heightened tensions following former President Trump’s false claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, which fueled harassment and litigation against election officials. In Colorado, where a former clerk was sentenced to nine years for allowing unauthorized access to election data, officials are particularly wary of federal requests to examine voting equipment.

As the 2026 midterms approach, state officials are bracing for further scrutiny, with some refusing to comply without guarantees about how voter data will be used and protected. The Justice Department’s actions, experts warn, could reshape the delicate balance between federal oversight and state autonomy in managing elections.

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