Minnesota State Wire

The League of Women Voters of Minnesota, Common Cause, and two Minnesota voters have filed a motion to intervene in the federal case United States of America v. Simon. The lawsuit, initiated by the Department of Justice (DOJ), seeks to require Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon to provide extensive voter registration data to the federal government. The ACLU and ACLU of Minnesota are representing the organizations and individuals involved.

The dispute centers on the DOJ's efforts to obtain full voter registration databases from states, which would include sensitive information such as names, dates of birth, addresses, and parts of social security and driver’s license numbers. According to the groups, this information could be used by the DOJ to create a national voter database, something they argue is beyond federal authority.

Reports suggest that the DOJ intends to share collected voter data with the Department of Homeland Security for use in criminal and immigration investigations.

Jennifer Compeau, a Minnesota voter involved in the motion, stated, “I joined this motion to intervene in USA v. Simon to defend and protect the data of myself and other Minnesotans, specifically justice-impacted individuals who just regained their right to vote. Many of us fought hard to regain the right to vote and we shouldn’t have to risk our privacy to use it.”

Amy Perna, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Minnesota, commented, “When Minnesotans register to vote, they trust that their government at all levels will keep their personal information safe and private. This lawsuit is a violation of that trust by the federal government, and the League in Minnesota is proud to fight for the privacy of voters and our members.”

Marcia Johnson, chief counsel of the League of Women Voters of the United States, said, “Voters have a right to privacy and should feel secure knowing that the federal government isn’t going to use their private information improperly. The Department of Justice should be focused on protecting voters from illegal invasions of privacy, not violating those very privacy laws. The League is proud to stand up for voters’ privacy rights in Minnesota and across the country.”

Omar Noureldin, Common Cause Senior Vice President of Policy and Litigation, added, “The voters of the Minnesota expect state election officials to handle their sensitive personal data with the utmost care, regardless of political affiliation. But the Department of Justice’s attempt to seize the data threatens not only voter privacy, but could undermine the public’s trust in fair, nonpartisan election administration, and suppress voters from engaging with the state in elections. We urge the court to protect voter data and safeguard the overall integrity of state and federal election systems.”

David McKinney, staff attorney at ACLU-MN, said, “The DOJ is seeking an unprecedented level of data collection that poses a significant threat to the privacy of Minnesotans. Minnesota has a strong reputation for conducting clean and fair elections. The state has provided detailed information to the DOJ and has rightfully refused to give highly sensitive information that the DOJ doesn’t need. Not only has DOJ failed to establish their legal authority to compel such information, but its demands also do not adhere to either state or federal privacy laws and it disregards the state’s primary role in administering elections.”

The DOJ has filed similar lawsuits against several other states, including Maine, Oregon, California, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. The organizations involved argue these actions infringe on states' rights to oversee their own elections and maintain secure voter records.

LWV of Minnesota, Common Cause, and the Minnesota voters say they are intervening in court both to make their case and protect their members’ information.