Maryland, 15 Other States Move to File Amicus Brief in Voter Registration Data Case
No state should be required to turn over sensitive data in the form of voter rolls to the federal government, argued a coalition of 16 Democratic attorneys general. Led by Maryland's AG, the states asked a federal court Wednesday for permission to file an amicus brief in support of California in a case at the U.S. District Court for Central California.
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The case, U.S. v. Shirley Weber, was brought by the federal government in an effort to force California to turn over voter registration data.
The DOJ “has issued an unprecedented demand to 40 States for entire, unredacted voter registration databases” in the past eight months, and five amici states have “been sued … for their refusal to comply,” the AGs' court filing said.
“The Amici States now seek leave to provide this Court with information about the broader context of the Department of Justice’s demand, the harm that demand threatens to the tens of millions of voters listed in Amici States’ voter registration databases, and the incompatibility of that demand with applicable law,” it added.
The AGs argued that approval should be granted because case 2:25-cv-09149 implicates the states, and they can offer a broader view of the matter.
The amicus brief attached to the court document detailed the federal government’s “unprecedented campaign to sweep up significant volumes of sensitive personal data on those living within its borders, including, and especially targeting data collected and possessed by States,” adding that it has now turned to voter registration databases.
But since “the federal government is not charged with maintaining voter registration lists, and the information sought does not aid the federal government’s limited compliance-enforcement role … the complaint should be dismissed,” the states argued.
The amicus brief also cited what the AGs called violations of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other laws, including the federal government's attempts to consolidate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applicant and recipient data from the states (see 2505290019), as well as health data (see 2507010060).
“Maryland voters deserve to cast ballots without worrying that their registration information will be mishandled," said state AG Anthony Brown (D) in a release. “The administration's unlawful demands threaten both individual privacy and our collective confidence in our elections."