SANTA ANA – Yesterday, the League of Women Voters of California (LWVC) filed a motion in federal court to intervene in USA v. Weber, the US Department of Justice’s case against the California Secretary of State, to protect the data of all California voters and prevent misuse of that data, which could harm California communities.
“Californians have a right to privacy and a right to vote free from intimidation or misuse of their personal information,” said Helen Hutchison, interim executive director of the League of Women Voters of California. “This attempt by the federal government to access detailed voter data puts those rights at risk. We are standing up for every Californian to ensure that sensitive voter information stays protected and that our elections remain safe and secure.”
In July, the US DOJ sent a letter to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber requesting the state’s complete and unredacted voter file, including voters’ addresses, dates of birth, driver's license numbers, and the last four digits of their Social Security numbers. Secretary Weber declined to turn over the unredacted voter files, citing state law that prohibits the sharing of voters’ sensitive data. Instead, Secretary Weber offered a redacted version of the voter file available for inspection at its offices.
“Every Californian who registers to vote does so with the expectation that their personal information will be used only to ensure their right to vote, not to expose them to the risk of abuse by the federal government," said Grayce Zelphin, senior attorney with the ACLU of Northern California. “The DOJ’s lawsuit threatens California voters’ privacy, seeks to stifle democratic participation, and aims to sow distrust of elections in California and nationwide."
In response, the DOJ filed a lawsuit in September against Secretary Weber, alleging that her failure to turn over the data violates the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, and Section 303 of the Civil Rights Act of 1960. The DOJ has also sued six other states in their attempt to create a national voter roll.
“Participation in a democracy should empower people, not force us to trade safety, privacy, or peace of mind to be heard, ” said Celina Stewart, CEO of the League of Women Voters of the United States. “We stand firmly with our partners in California and across the country to stop unlawful overreach that threatens the privacy and security of voters. Safeguarding voter data is essential to safeguarding trust in our elections.”
The DOJ has repeatedly attempted to intrude upon states’ authority to manage elections by demanding extensive voter information from at least 38 states. The DOJ is attempting to collect states’ voter data to support the Trump administration’s unlawful creation of massive government databases consolidating sensitive and legally protected personal information on millions of people.
“It is important that California voters can feel secure that their sensitive personal identifying information will be handled carefully and lawfully by the state and will not be weaponized against them by the federal government, particularly in light of the unprecedented scope and dubious justification for the federal government’s demands in this case,” said Theresa J. Lee, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Voting Rights Project.
The League of Women Voters of California is represented by the ACLU and the ACLU Foundations of Northern California and Southern California.
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