{"id":59169,"date":"2026-04-09T16:27:31","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T20:27:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/?post_type=work&p=59169"},"modified":"2026-04-09T16:27:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T20:27:31","slug":"common-cause-v-evnen","status":"publish","type":"work","link":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/tl\/work\/common-cause-v-evnen\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Cause v. Evnen"},"template":"","class_list":["post-59169","work","type-work","status-publish","hentry","work_type-litigation"],"acf":{"details":{"summary":"Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen has released sensitive data to the federal government \u2013 now, the Nebraska Supreme Court has agreed to hear our lawsuit aiming to stop this.","featured_image":"","work_type":157,"related_issues":false,"location":46},"sidebar":{"helper_enable_sidebar":true,"helper_media_contact":{"heading":"Media Contact","manually_enter_person":false,"person":"","name":"","role":"","phone":"","email":""},"helper_links_downloads":{"heading":"Links & Downloads","links":[{"file_download":true,"link":null,"file":58166}]}},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_wysiwyg":{"content":"

Nebraska Voter Data Lawsuit: Common Cause vs. Secretary Bob Evnen (2026)<\/h2>\r\nLast year,\u00a0<\/span>Common Cause sued Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to block the release of the state\u2019s non-public voter file to the Department of Justice.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

The Legal Authority of States to Protect Sensitive Voter Data<\/h2>\r\nBy law, states, not the federal government, have the authority to\u00a0maintain\u00a0their voter files, which\u00a0contain\u00a0sensitive information including\u00a0full names, addresses, dates of birth, driver\u2019s\u00a0license\u00a0and partial Social Security numbers. However, the Trump administration has been on a quest to collect these databases to assemble their own master voter file, a move that\u00a0<\/span>threatens the integrity of our elections<\/span><\/b>\u00a0at\u00a0<\/span>risks disenfranchising<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>many Americans<\/span><\/b>\u00a0ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nMost states have resisted pressure from the DOJ to hand over voter data \u2013 and are now being sued for it by the administration \u2013 but some, like Nebraska, have fallen in line.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0why\u00a0<\/span>Common Cause\u00a0filed a lawsuit against Secretary\u00a0Evnen<\/span><\/b>,\u00a0seeking\u00a0to stop him from giving the Trump administration access to sensitive data on voters in his state.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

Nebraska Supreme Court Hearing: The Fight for Election Integrity<\/h2>\r\nWhile a district court initially dismissed the lawsuit, Common Cause kept fighting for Nebraska voters, and quickly,\u00a0<\/span>the Nebraska Supreme Court agreed to hear the case<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u00a0on March 31, 2026<\/span><\/b>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nUnfortunately,\u00a0<\/span>Secretary Evnen has already released the Nebraska voter file to the DOJ<\/span><\/a>, a move that jeopardizes fair and free elections in his state.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

What is at risk when states hand over sensitive voter data to the DOJ?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\r\nTrump has repeatedly signaled his willingness to undermine our democracy to stay in power. Whether\u00a0<\/span>continuing to spread disproven conspiracies about the 2020 election<\/span><\/a>\u00a0o\u00a0<\/span>calling\u00a0on\u00a0Republicans to \u201cnationalize the voting,\u201d<\/span><\/a>\u00a0he has shown\u00a0time and again\u00a0that\u00a0<\/span>winning is more important to him than a fair and free democracy<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nDemanding state voter files is another attempt to undermine states\u2019 statutory power to manage elections, and the disenfranchisement that the Trump administration could carry out with a master national voter file is deeply concerning.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

How Strategic Voter Purges Threaten the 2026 Midterms<\/h2>\r\nA list like this\u00a0could be used to conduct\u00a0<\/span>strategic and widespread purges<\/span><\/b>\u00a0of eligible voters from voter rolls, including purges that are targeted based on factors like location, age, and gender\u00a0in an effort to\u00a0gain a\u00a0<\/span>partisan advantage<\/span><\/b>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

DOJ and DHS Data Sharing: Impacts on Immigrant Communities<\/h2>\r\nAnd given the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s cruel attacks on immigrants and communities of color, regardless of their citizenship status, a potential federal database like this poses even greater risk \u2013 already, the DOJ\u00a0<\/span>has acknowledged<\/span><\/a>\u00a0that it is\u00a0<\/span>sharing voter information with DHS<\/span><\/b>. Knowing that the federal government has collected a database of sensitive information could intimidate potential voters from these communities and prevent them from registering to vote.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThat\u2019s\u00a0why Common Cause takes these demands so seriously, and why we will continue to fight them across the country, including in the Nebraska Supreme Court.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_accordion","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_accordion":{"heading":"F.A.Q.","panels":[{"panel_heading":"Why is Common Cause suing Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen?","panel_copy":"Common Cause filed a lawsuit against Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen<\/b> to prevent the release of the state's non-public voter file to the Department of Justice (DOJ)<\/b>. The organization argues that under current law, states\u2014not the federal government\u2014hold the sole authority to maintain and protect voter files. The lawsuit aims to safeguard the privacy of Nebraska residents and prevent the creation of a \"master voter file\" by the federal government, which critics argue could be used to undermine election integrity."},{"panel_heading":"What sensitive information is included in the Nebraska voter file?","panel_copy":"

The Nebraska voter file<\/b> contains highly sensitive, personal data that is typically shielded from the public to protect citizen privacy. This includes:<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    \r\n \t
  • \r\n

    Full names and home addresses<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t

  • \r\n

    Dates of birth<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t

  • \r\n

    Driver\u2019s license numbers<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t

  • \r\n

    Partial Social Security numbers<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    The release of this data to federal agencies raises significant concerns regarding identity security and the potential for targeted voter intimidation.<\/p>"},{"panel_heading":"How could a national voter database impact the 2026 midterm elections?","panel_copy":"There are growing concerns that a master national voter database could be used to carry out strategic voter purges<\/b> ahead of the 2026 midterm elections<\/b>. By analyzing data based on age, gender, and location, the administration could potentially remove eligible voters from the rolls to gain a partisan advantage. This move threatens the \"fair and free\" nature of elections by disenfranchising specific demographics of the American electorate."},{"panel_heading":"Why is the DOJ sharing voter data with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)?","panel_copy":"The DOJ has acknowledged sharing voter information with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)<\/b>, a move that advocates say could be used to intimidate immigrant communities and communities of color. Even for naturalized citizens or legal residents, the knowledge that a centralized federal database exists may discourage individuals from registering to vote or participating in the democratic process due to fears of surveillance or administrative retaliation."}]}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_add_component","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_add_component":null},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_take_action","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_take_action":{"heading":"Take Action","button_text":"","manually_curate":false,"action":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_banner","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_banner":{"use_donate_banner":true,"title":"Title [highlight]with highlighting[\/highlight] and additional text.","button":null,"image":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_related_articles","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_related_articles":{"heading":"Updates","button_text":"See all Related Articles","manually_curate":false,"articles":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_resources","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_resources":{"heading":"Related Resources","button_text":"See all Related Resources","manually_curate":false,"resource":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_press","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_press":{"heading":"Press","button_text":"","manually_curate":false,"press":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_events","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_events":{"heading":"Events"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_our_experts","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_our_experts":{"heading":"","manually_curate":false,"people":null}}]},"yoast_head":"\nCommon Cause v. 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