By Tiffany Williams –
The Justice Department is taking aim at Oregon and Maine, suing the two states and their Secretaries of State for refusing to hand over crucial voter registration information. The Civil Rights Division says the states stonewalled federal law by withholding details about voter list maintenance and electronic copies of statewide voter rolls.
“States simply cannot pick and choose which federal laws they will comply with, including our voting laws, which ensure that all American citizens have equal access to the ballot in federal elections,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “American citizens have a right to feel confident in the integrity of our electoral process, and the refusal of certain states to protect their citizens against vote dilution will result in legal consequences.”
According to the DOJ, Oregon and Secretary of State Tobias Read violated the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, and the Civil Rights Act of 1960 by refusing to produce an unredacted electronic copy of the voter registration list, provide information on how ineligible voters are removed, and disclose registration data. Maine and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows face similar charges for withholding voter removal data and a computerized voter registration list.
The lawsuit points to an eyebrow-raising inconsistency: both states reportedly gave identical information to a private organization while stonewalling the federal government.