DOJ Files Lawsuit Against Maine Secretary of State for Violating Federal Election Laws
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Maine, accusing Secretary of State Shenna Bellows of violating federal election laws by not providing voter data. The lawsuit alleges that Maine violated several federal acts by refusing to share voter registration information. Oregon is facing a similar lawsuit filed on the same day.
Bellows rejected a second request from the Justice Department for personal voter data, including sensitive information like driver's license numbers and Social Security numbers. The Justice Department claims that both Maine and Oregon had previously shared similar data with a private organization but refused to provide it to federal officials.
In response to the DOJ's requests, Bellows held a news conference where she criticized the requests and expressed concerns about the privacy of Mainers' personal data. Despite rejecting the first request in a letter dated August 8, the DOJ filed a second request just 10 days later on August 18.
Several other states have also denied DOJ requests for voter data, according to Bellows' office. The situation is still developing, and updates may be provided as more information becomes available.
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