The Kentucky State Board of Elections is asking a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which is seeking access to sensitive voter data.
In a motion filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Kentucky, the board argues that the federal Civil Rights Act of 1960 does not allow the DOJ unfettered access to data on millions of Kentuckians who are registered to vote. It also says the board attempted to cooperate with the DOJ by providing a redacted list to avoid privacy violations.
Last week, the DOJ sued Kentucky and four other states in federal court to gain access to voter registration data, including sensitive information such as driver’s license and Social Security numbers. Defendants in the case include members of the State Board of Elections and Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams.
“The State Board of Elections is committed to complying with state and federal law. The Board works diligently to maintain clean voter rolls while also protecting the sensitive personal information of Kentucky’s voters,” said Executive Director Karen Sellers in a Tuesday statement. “We have worked with federal partners for many years to strengthen election integrity, and we remain committed to that cooperation. At the same time, the Board believes the courts should resolve the legal questions presented in this case so that election officials across the country have clear guidance about the scope of federal authority.”
The State Board of Election’s motion to dismiss was filed by attorney Carmine G. Iaccarino.
On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky filed a motion to intervene in the case on behalf of two Kentucky voters who are naturalized citizens and voting rights groups.
The DOJ has previously said it is entitled to the unredacted data under the Civil Rights Act of 1960. Including Kentucky, the DOJ is suing 29 states and the District of Columbia for access to voter information it has said would be used to ensure clean voting rolls.
Under the second Trump administration, DOJ officials began asking states for voter information last year. The DOJ has since shared voter roll information with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to search for noncitizens. Homeland Security is building out a powerful citizenship verification program and touting it as a way to ensure election integrity.
This article is republished under a Creative Commons license from Kentucky Lantern, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com. Follow Kentucky Lantern on Facebook and Twitter.
McKenna Horsley covers state politics for the Kentucky Lantern. She previously worked for newspapers in Huntington, West Virginia, and Frankfort, Kentucky. She is from northeastern Kentucky.
