Klobuchar, Reed, Senators Demand that Presidential Advisory Commission Rescind Request for State Election Officials' Voter Roll Data

Press Release

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jack Reed (D-RI) today led 24 senators in demanding the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity rescind its request that state election officials provide sensitive voter roll data. The senators oppose the unprecedented request that threatens the privacy of millions of Americans and risks improper removal of eligible voters from voter registration lists in violation of the National Voter Registration Act. In a letter, the senators warn that voting rights are at risk.

"This request is unprecedented in scope and raises serious privacy concerns. The requested data is highly sensitive and after recent data breaches and cyber-attacks targeting our election infrastructure, we are deeply concerned about how the Commission will maintain the security and privacy of the data," the senators wrote.

We are also concerned about why the Commission is requesting sensitive voting data and how it will be used. Leaders of the Commission said they intend to compare state voter information with federal databases in order to prevent voter fraud. Experts have raised significant concern that false-positive results from such a cross-check will lead to the improper removal of eligible voters from voter registration lists. Improperly removing Americans from registration lists is a violation of the National Voter Registration Act and will hamper Americans' right to vote," the senators continued.

"Also troubling is the Commission's lack of focus on legitimate threats, such as foreign cyber-attacks on our election infrastructure. Therefore, we demand the Commission rescind its request for sensitive voter roll data and refrain from requesting such information in the future."

Election officials from more than forty states have shared the senators' concerns, including Republican officials from Mississippi, Tennessee, and Ohio.

In addition to Klobuchar and Reed, the letter was also signed by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Al Franken (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Coons (D-DE), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tom Udall (D-NM), Tom Carper (D-DE), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).

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