New Hampshire, Maine Deny DOJ Requests for Sensitive Voter Data

The Trump administration has repeatedly requested sensitive voter information from multiple states, including New Hampshire and Maine, prompting refusals based on privacy and legal concerns. New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan has denied the federal demand for the state's voter registration list, citing state law prohibiting the sharing of such information. In Maine, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has likewise rejected multiple Department of Justice (DOJ) requests for detailed voter data, including driver's license numbers, partial Social Security numbers, and full birth dates, calling the demands a "fishing expedition" that threatens voter privacy and data security. Bellows criticized the DOJ's poor track record in protecting private data and stated the requests appear to violate federal privacy laws, noting that Maine is not alone as states like Pennsylvania and New Hampshire have also denied similar requests. The DOJ claims the data is needed to ensure compliance with the Voter Registration Act and to identify duplicate or ineligible voters, but officials in these states have questioned the appropriateness and legality of the requests, demanding more justification before compliance. These disputes highlight ongoing tensions between the federal government under President Trump's administration and state election officials over access to voter information ahead of upcoming elections.