Lawsuits allege federal agencies improperly accessed sensitive voter data

Legal challenges have emerged alleging that federal agencies have improperly accessed and utilized sensitive voter information. In Alaska, a Superior Court judge denied a request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the League of Women Voters, the Alaska Black Caucus, and the ACLU. The plaintiffs argue that the Alaska Division of Elections violated the state constitution by providing the U.S. Department of Justice with an unredacted voter list containing driver’s license numbers, home addresses, and partial Social Security numbers.

Judge Adolf Zeman noted that the state failed to negotiate restrictions on the Department of Justice’s influence over the voter list, stating the state effectively gave the agency “carte blanche” to request data for any reason. Plaintiffs expressed concern that the data could be used to create an unauthorized national database for criminal and immigration investigations.

In a separate federal lawsuit, voting rights and privacy groups allege the Department of Homeland Security has systematically collected sensitive data on Kentucky voters despite the state’s refusal to share it. The filing cites internal communications suggesting the DHS used tools developed by Palantir to identify foreign nationals for removal. Advocates warn that using voter data for immigration enforcement could create a “chilling effect” at the polls.