Bài báo
Common Cause Is Suing to Protect Nebraskan Voters
Common Cause has gone to court to stop Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen from giving away private voter information to the U.S. Department of Justice (you can read our complaint here).
The DOJ recently asked for access to the state’s entire voter file, including names, addresses, birthdates, and even driver’s license and security numbers.
We’ve already gotten some good news on this case: Nebraska’s solicitor general has confirmed that the secretary of state will not release any voter information to the DOJ while our lawsuit is pending. As a result, the voter data will be safe for at least a few months while litigation proceeds.
Why did Common Cause file this lawsuit?
State and local governments have authority over the administration of their elections, whether voters are casting ballots for an open school board seat or for the president.
We’re suing because Nebraska law clearly says that certain voter information – birthdates, driver’s license information, and social security numbers – cannot be shared with anyone other than election officials. Nebraska law also prohibits third parties, including the federal government, from making or receiving copies of Nebraska’s unredacted voter file.
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.Gavin Geis, Common Cause Nebraska Executive Director
If Secretary Evnen hands over this data, it would violate state law and put every Nebraska voter’s personal information at risk of hacking, scams, or misuse.
Why does the DOJ want Nebraska’s voter file?
The Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, is pressuring Nebraska and other states to hand over complete, unredacted voter files. Nebraska isn’t alone: dozens of states have recently received the same demand.
This isn’t a new strategy. Back in 2017, after Trump falsely claimed he lost the popular vote because of “millions of illegal votes,” his administration tried to collect voter data through an “election integrity” commission. Common Cause sued to stop it. That effort failed when both Democrats and Republicans rejected it.
Today, the administration has revived their plan, this time using the full power of the Justice Department to pursue the same goal. If the Trump administration is able to amass a national database of voter information in this country, it could be abused to spread more lies about election fraud and commit widespread voter suppression.
What does the lawsuit seek to do?
Common Cause is asking the court for an emergency order to block Secretary Evnen from turning over the data. We want the court to make clear that Nebraska law protects voters’ private information and that the federal government has no right to demand it.
What’s at stake here?
At its core, this is about more than just one state’s voter file. It’s about whether the federal government can trample state laws, seize personal data, and use it to take control of election administration away from the states. If Nebraska’s voter file is handed over, sensitive details like Social Security numbers and driver’s license information could be misused by bad actors, and the database could be abused by politicians who want to spread lies to undermine confidence in elections.
This push for voter data is part of the Trump administration’s broader playbook—using government power to target communities instead of protecting them.Omar Noureldin, Common Cause Senior Vice President for Policy & Litigation
That’s why Common Cause is stepping in: to protect Nebraskans’ privacy, defend the integrity of state law, and push back against a dangerous power grab. Democracy depends on voters’ confidence that their information is safe and their voices matter. Giving in to this demand would do the opposite.