Common Cause has filed a lawsuit seeking an immediate injunction to prevent Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen from sharing sensitive information contained in the state voter file with federal officials who do not run Nebraska elections.

The Department of Justice has requested Nebraska’s voter file, including the full names, address, date of birth, and driver’s license number or last four digits of voters’ social security number, in violation of state law, which also makes them more vulnerable to hackers and scammers. Common Cause is calling on Secretary Evnen to stop any efforts to share the voter file with the federal government, since states have authority over their own elections.

“Unelected bureaucrats in Washington have no business accessing every Nebraskans’ sensitive personal information. Not now, not ever,” said Gavin Geis, Common Cause Nebraska Executive Director. “State law protects our information for good reason. Will Secretary Evnen be responsible if this information is hacked? Will taxpayers be on the hook to pay any settlements? We’re calling on the Secretary to protect Nebraskans’ personal information and comply with state law to keep all of us safe from fraud and abuse of our data.” 

“This push for voter data is part of the Trump administration’s broader playbook—using government power to target communities instead of protecting them,” said Omar Noureldin, Common Cause Senior Vice President for Policy & Litigation. “The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division should be focused on fighting discrimination and intimidation to safeguard every American’s right to vote, not weaponizing sensitive information against voters.”

You can view the complaint here. You can see the motion for a temporary restraining order here.