AUSTIN — Texas’ top elections officials sent the Justice Department a complete list of the state’s registered voters last month, a move that has sparked Democratic complaints about federal overreach.
Alicia Pierce, spokeswoman for the Texas Secretary of State’s office, said the state handed over the data as part of an agreement with the Justice Department. It says it wants state voter rolls in part to check for ineligible registrations
The revelation comes after the Justice Department began asking states last year to hand over their respective voter rolls. While some states – like Texas – did provide the information voluntarily, the Justice Department has sued states that have refused to provide the voter information.
Texas is one of seven states that has handed over the complete list of its voter rolls, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, which is tracking the nationwide effort.
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Votebeat and The Texas Tribune first reported Friday that state officials had handed over voter registration data.
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Democrats warned that Texas and other other states have violated federal election law by agreeing to share voter roll data.
In letters to election officials, the Democratic National Committee said the agreements appear to conflict with the National Voter Registration Act by pressing states to remove voters during the law’s 90-day quiet period before an election, raising fears of unlawful purges.
DNC Chair Ken Martin said Democrats are prepared to take legal action, accusing the DOJ of seeking sensitive voter data that could undermine privacy and suppress turnout.
Natalie Baldassarre, a spokeswoman at the Justice Department, said Friday it had no comment on Texas sending its voter data.
Last month, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said on The Charlie Kirk Show that the Justice Department is requesting the data to ensure “election integrity.”