Attorney General Charity Clark has joined a group of 16 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief supporting California’s request to dismiss a federal lawsuit that seeks full, unredacted voter registration databases from states nationwide.
The brief was filed in the case United States v. Shirley Weber, et al., in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. It argues that the federal government’s request is part of a broader effort to collect personal information about people living in the country. According to the coalition, the federal government does not have legal authority to require states to hand over sensitive voter data and such demands infringe on constitutional protections granting states control over elections as well as federal privacy laws.
The Department of Justice has asked for voter database information from 42 states and has initiated lawsuits against seven states besides California. The requested data includes personally identifying details such as partial Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers, along with information about party affiliation, disability status, and voting history. The brief notes that releasing this unredacted information could endanger participants in address confidentiality programs designed for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault survivors, law enforcement officers, and judicial officials.
The attorneys general argue that these demands are part of larger federal efforts to collect state-held personal data on Americans. Similar requests have been made for state SNAP and Medicaid records; some courts have already issued preliminary injunctions blocking those efforts as unlawful.
The brief contends that three federal statutes cited by the Department of Justice—the Help America Vote Act, National Voter Registration Act, and Civil Rights Act of 1960—do not authorize such broad collection of sensitive voter information. It also points out that the Civil Rights Act’s record inspection authority was intended specifically for investigating racial discrimination in voting rather than conducting general compliance reviews.
Additionally, it asserts that the federal government has not complied with requirements under the Privacy Act of 1974. This law mandates agencies follow certain procedures before collecting personal information and limits what can be collected or shared. The Privacy Act prohibits agencies from keeping records describing how individuals exercise First Amendment rights unless there is explicit statutory authorization.
“A copy of the brief is available on our website.”
