DOJ plans to share states' sensitive voter data with DHS : NPR
NPR • • nation
Key Points:
- The Department of Justice disclosed in a Rhode Island court hearing that it intends to share voter registration data obtained from states with the Department of Homeland Security for citizenship verification through DHS's SAVE system.
- This admission comes amid lawsuits by the DOJ against over two dozen states that refused to provide sensitive voter data, with some federal judges having already dismissed these lawsuits as unlawful.
- The SAVE system, revamped under the Trump administration, checks voter rolls for noncitizens but has inaccurately flagged some U.S. citizens, raising concerns about potential voter disenfranchisement.
- Voting rights advocates and state officials have criticized the DOJ's data-sharing plan, highlighting issues of state election authority, privacy, and compliance with the Privacy Act, which requires public notice before such data sharing.
- Despite calls for transparency, the DOJ has not publicly announced the data-sharing agreement with DHS nor provided opportunities for public comment, fueling further controversy and legal challenges.
