Alaska, like Texas, recently signed an agreement with the federal government promising to share voter data. The Justice Department said that it plans to analyze any collected information to identify potential voter list issues and remove ineligible registrants. Watchdogs fear that the initiative could be used to advance President Donald Trump’s immigration-enforcement operations.
Civil rights groups are suing Alaska elections officials, claiming their decision to share voter registration lists with the Trump administration likely violated the state constitution.
According to ABC News, Alaska is one of at least 12 states that has either provided or plans to provide detailed voter information—including birth dates, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers—to the federal Department of Justice.
Alaska, like Texas, recently signed an agreement with the federal government promising to share voter data. The Justice Department said that it plans to analyze any collected information to identify potential voter list issues and remove ineligible registrants. Watchdogs fear that the initiative could be used to advance President Donald Trump’s immigration-enforcement operations.
The Alaska lawsuit was filed in state court by the League of Women Voters of Alaska and the Alaska Black Caucus. It accuses Division of Elections officials of violating residents’ rights to privacy by sharing personal information with the federal government.
Attorneys also say that the memorandum of understanding between Alaska and the Department of Justice is inherently flawed because it violates due process by letting the Trump administration flag voters for removal “without any apparent notice or process for impacted voters to challenge those decisions.”
The lawsuit names defendants including Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dalhstrom—who oversees the Division of Elections—and agency director Carol Beecher.
Sam Curtis, a spokesman for the Alaska Department of Law, told ABC News in an email that he cannot comment on the lawsuit’s allegations but said that his department has previously explained that state law “expressly permits the sharing of this information for authorized governmental purposes.”
“That statute is on the books,” Curtis said, “and we will defend it.”
“Alaska statutes contain numerous provisions that allow the sharing of otherwise non-public or confidential information with law enforcement,” he added.
ABC News notes that the plaintiffs are being represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, the ACLU Voting Rights Project, and the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
“The right to vote and our right to privacy are two core values held dear by Alaskans,” said Eric Glatt, legal director for the ACLU of Alaska, said in a statement. “Rather than fiercely defending the rights of Alaska’s voters, our Division of Elections acceded to federal overreach. Now, we are asking the court to step in and ensure that DOE upholds its constitutional and legal obligations to Alaskans.”
Sources
Alaska Lt. Gov. faces lawsuit for sharing confidential voter data with Trump DOJ
Civil rights groups sue Alaska Division of Elections for sharing voter rolls with DOJ
Groups sue Alaska election officials, allege the sharing of voter data with DOJ was unconstitutional
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