Nebraska will provide the U.S. Department of Justice with voter registration data for every registered voter in the state after the Nebraska Supreme Court ended a lawsuit seeking to block the release.
On Wednesday, Feb. 11, Secretary of State Bob Evnen said the information would be turned over following the court’s action, which came after a state judge dismissed a case filed by the government watchdog group Common Cause. The group had asked the courts to stop the data from being shared with the federal government.
The voter file includes personal details such as dates of birth, home addresses, and partial Social Security numbers.
After the lower-court dismissal, Common Cause sought an emergency order from the Nebraska Supreme Court, arguing that releasing the data would expose sensitive information statewide. “Once the data is released, that bell cannot be unrung,” the group’s attorneys wrote.
The dispute comes amid broader federal efforts to obtain election-related records. In Georgia, the FBI recently searched an elections office in Fulton County as part of a Justice Department investigation into alleged voter fraud. Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. criticized the move at a Jan. 28 press conference, saying a criminal search warrant was used after records were not produced in a civil case. He added that the warrant is sealed, making it unclear who is being investigated, and warned the action could deepen public distrust in elections.
Across the country, the Justice Department has filed lawsuits against at least 23 states and Washington, D.C., seeking access to voter data and other election information. In Michigan, a federal judge dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit for records on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
Evnen said Nebraska will provide the data so federal officials can evaluate whether the state is complying with federal voting laws. He added that the Nebraska Attorney General’s office concluded the request was lawful.
According to Evnen, the information will be uploaded electronically to the Justice Department, along with a request that privacy protections be observed. In the United States, elections are administered by state and local governments, which collect and maintain voter registration records.
