Today, Common Cause, the ACLU National Voting Rights Project, the ACLU of Connecticut, and two Connecticut voters filed a motion to intervene in United States of America v. Thomas to prevent the Department of Justice (DOJ) from obtaining Connecticut voters’ personal data from the nonpublic voter file. 

In December, the DOJ asked Connecticut to turn over voters’ full names, dates of birth, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers — highly sensitive data that is protected under state and federal law. The state did not turn over the unredacted data, citing federal law and an attempt to work cooperatively with the DOJ. The DOJ responded by quickly filing a lawsuit against Connecticut’s Secretary of State, Stephanie Thomas, in January in an attempt to obtain this information.  

The advocates and voters argue the DOJ’s request threatens voter privacy and enables voter disenfranchisement. They are represented by attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Foundation and the ACLU Foundation of Connecticut.    

Voters joining the case include a naturalized citizen, Claire Ewing, who has an interest in this case because their background places them at heightened risk of DOJ targeting, a threat that extends to countless other Connecticut voters.    

“These privacy laws are in place for a reason—to protect people and their data,” said Heather Ferguson, Common Cause Vice President of States. “Handing personal data over to the federal government would put voters at risk and could result in eligible voters being denied their right to participate in a major election year. Common Cause is fighting to protect the rights of Connecticut voters and to prevent the potential misuse of their data.” 

“The federal government’s demand for sensitive voter data — including Social Security and driver’s license numbers— has no legal or practical justification,” said Joe Gaylin, Legal Fellow at the ACLU of Connecticut. “Our intervention in the case is an important step to protect the privacy of Connecticut residents and to ensure that their sensitive personal information is not weaponized to intimidate or disqualify them from voting.” 

“Voters in Connecticut, and all voters, rightly expect the government to keep their personal information secure and only use it for its intended purpose of maintaining accurate records,” said Maryam Jazini Dorcheh, Senior Director of Litigation at Common Cause. “We are committed to defending voters’ rights and privacy in Connecticut and nationwide, and this case is one of many where we are stepping in to ensure those protections are upheld.”  

“Voters should not have to worry that registering to vote means giving the federal government access to their most sensitive personal information,” said Will Hughes, staff attorney with the ACLU Voting Rights Project. “There is no good reason for the DOJ to be asking for Social Security numbers and driver’s license data, and doing so puts people at risk. We’re stepping in to make sure voters’ privacy is protected and that people don’t feel they have to make sacrifices to participate in our elections.” 

Common Cause previously filed a lawsuit in Nebraska to protect state voter data and has joined with the ACLU Voting Rights Project to protect sensitive voter information by moving to intervene in DOJ lawsuits against Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawai’i, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington DC and Wisconsin to protect sensitive data in those states. 

To view the Connecticut filing, click here.