In recent months, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has been contacting states demanding access to sensitive election and voting data. In Minnesota and Nevada, DOJ sent nearly identical letters seeking access to their state voter rolls. In Colorado, DOJ made an unprecedented, sweeping demand for all 2024 election records. And in Rhode Island, prosecutors from DOJ’s criminal division sought a meeting to discuss a potential election data information sharing agreement.
The effort, part of a broader anti-voting shift at DOJ, has taken in swing states like Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, as well as blue states like New York and Minnesota — and even red states like Oklahoma and Alaska.
It appears aimed at pressing states to tighten voting rules and at aiding the Trump administration’s hunt for illegal voting. Former DOJ attorneys and voting rights advocates have told Democracy Docket it’s deeply troubling.
“I think that should concern all Americans,” said David Becker, the founder and executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research and a former trial attorney in the DOJ’s voting section. “Because it appears the Justice Department is trying to acquire sensitive information on all Americans for who knows what purpose, with very, very questionable statutory authority.”
Here are all the states that DOJ has contacted, and what we know about each demand.
Alaska
On July 2, DOJ sent a letter to Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom (R) — the state’s chief election officer — inquiring about its procedures for complying with certain provisions of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The letter asked for access to Alaska’s voter rolls, a list of election officials responsible for the voter registration list, and a list of all registered voters who were determined to be noncitizens. The DOJ gave Dahlstrom’s office 20 days to provide the requested information.
Stephen Kirch, the public relations manager for Alaska’s elections division, told Democracy Docket that the state is in contact with DOJ and “currently in the process of working on a response.”
Read the letter here.
Arizona
On May 2, DOJ sent a letter to Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) that claimed state officials are not properly verifying voters’ identities, in violation of federal law, and warned of a potential lawsuit. Fontes’ office responded June 2, asserting that all state election officials are complying with federal election laws.
DOJ sent Fontes’ office another letter July 10 asking about implementation of Trump’s anti-voting executive order, according to reporting from Stateline. JP Martin, the deputy communications director for Fontes’ office, told Democracy Docket that Fontes’ office is “focused on collaborating with DOJ in a good faith manner while ensuring we are following the letter of federal and state laws.”
Read the May 2 letter here.
Colorado
DOJ made its most sweeping demand for election data to Colorado. On May 12, Harmeet Dhillon, the head of DOJ’s Civil Rights division, sent a letter to Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D) demanding the state turn over “all records” relating to the 2024 election, along with any records of the 2020 election that remain in the state’s archives. Griswold’s office reportedly responded May 27 with the most current version of its publicly available voter file, along with datasets showing voter history.
The Washington Post reported July 16 that Jeff Small — a GOP political operative and former chief of staff to Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) — contacted county clerks to see if they would allow the federal government to inspect election equipment, saying he was working with the White House. Tina Peters, a former GOP local election clerk in Colorado, was sentenced last year to nine years in prison for her role in a voting system data breach — the result of a failed, conspiracy theory-driven attempt to find voter fraud. Earlier this year, DOJ took steps to support Peters’ appeal of her conviction.
Read the letter here.
Florida
DOJ reportedly asked Florida for access to their voter registration rolls, which are available to the public. The state provided access to the department. The Florida Department of State did not respond to a request to see correspondence from DOJ.
Minnesota
On June 25, DOJ sent a letter to Secretary of State Steve Simon (D) demanding access to the state’s voter registration rolls, and listing 14 other questions inquiring about the state’s compliance with federal voting laws. Simon’s office has not yet responded to DOJ’s letter.
Read the letter here.
Nevada
On June 25, DOJ sent a letter to Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar (D) demanding access to the state’s voter registration rolls, and listing 14 other questions inquiring about the state’s compliance with federal voting laws. DOJ also reportedly sent Aguilar’s office a request for an agreement to share certain information on voters who were targeted by Trump’s anti-voting executive order.
Read the letter here.
New Hampshire
On June 25, DOJ sent a letter to Secretary of State David Scanlan (R) demanding access to the state’s voter registration rolls, and listing 14 other questions inquiring about the state’s compliance with federal voting laws. Scanlan’s office has not yet responded to DOJ’s letter.
Read the letter here.
New York
On June 30, DOJ sent a letter to the New York State Board of Elections (NYSBE) demanding access to the state’s voter registration rolls, and listing 14 other questions inquiring about the state’s compliance with HAVA laws. The NYSBE did not immediately respond to a request for comment asking if they responded to DOJ’s letter.
Read the letter here.
Oklahoma
In June, DOJ contacted the office of the Oklahoma State Election Board by phone to request access to the state’s voter registration rolls, Misha Mohr, the Public Information Officer for the election board, told Democracy Docket. Oklahoma’s statewide voter list is publicly available under state law. Mohr confirmed that the DOJ was directed to the online portal where they could request the statewide voter list.
Pennsylvania
On June 23, DOJ sent a letter to Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt (R) asking numerous questions about how Pennsylvania manages its voter rolls and inquiring about its compliance with federal voting laws. Schmidt’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment asking if they responded to DOJ’s letter.
Read the letter here.
Rhode Island
Prosecutors from DOJ’s criminal division sent an email July 10 to Secretary of State Gregg Amore (D) requesting a meeting “to discuss a potential information-sharing agreement” on voter registration data, to help the department’s hunt for voter fraud. Amore’s office told Democracy Docket it “is currently reviewing the request and has not yet responded.”
Read the email here.
Wisconsin
On June 17, DOJ sent a letter to Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe, claiming that the department received “several complaints” regarding the state’s compliance with federal voting laws. The DOJ asked Wolfe’s office to send various data, along with access to the state’s voter rolls. Wolfe’s office responded July 2 with detailed answers to the DOJ’s questions.
Read the letter here.
