The federal government is suing states in an ongoing effort to obtain voter data and election information. Three states in the Mountain West are on the list.
The Justice Department is seeking voter information in more than 20 states, as part of an effort to ensure voting integrity. The department is suing at least 18 states for refusing to comply. In a press release, the department said it will not "permit states to jeopardize the integrity and effectiveness of elections."
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement, "The Department of Justice will continue filing proactive election integrity litigation until states comply with basic election safeguards."
States — including Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada — want to know why the federal government is asking for private information and how it would be used. State officials have responded by saying they are legally prohibited from sharing such information.
Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, who oversees the state's elections, said the request amounts to intimidation.
"What they're trying to do is set up a structure for the '26 election. We know that the '26 election is gonna be important to the '28 election," Aguilar said. "And Nevada's going to determine the next president of the United States. And so the more control they can get of our voters and the more control of the information, it's to their benefit. But that's not the way the election system is designed."
Aguilar said Nevada and other states are preparing for a court battle.
"I'm very clear about what my position is. Nevada law is very clear. The only way we're going to settle this is by going before a judge, [who will] listen to both sides of the argument and then determine what the law is," Aguilar said.
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said her office will not provide unredacted voter data.
New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver stated that her office has provided public data but cannot legally hand over private information.
The Secretaries of State in Colorado and New Mexico said they will not provide private voter data.
States being sued by the DOJ are California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Washington, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between KUNR, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio, KJZZ in Arizona and NPR, with additional support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
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