The U.S. Justice Department is still insisting Illinois election officials hand over the state’s entire computerized voter registration database, including sensitive information such as driver’s license and partial Social Security numbers. The agency initially made that request in July, saying it wants to make sure Illinois is complying with federal laws that require states to maintain accurate and up-to-date voter lists.
Capitol News Illinois reports the State Board of Elections provided D-O-J with a version of the list that does not include sensitive personal information. The agency cited a state law that only allows the release of certain information to political committees or governmental agencies.
But in a letter dated Thursday, an attorney in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said that list is not sufficient and insisted the state hand over the entire, unredacted database. D-O-J gave the state until August 21 st to comply. The Board of Elections says it is reviewing the latest demand.
