By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
The U.S. Department of Justice has requested a complete copy of Washington state’s voter registration database, prompting a review by the Office of the Secretary of State. According to Washington State’s Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, the request seeks sensitive voter information including full names, dates of birth, residential addresses, and either state driver’s license numbers or the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
While Hobbs acknowledged receipt of the request, he assured voters in Washington state that his office is committed to voter privacy and election integrity.
“As Washington’s chief election official, it is my responsibility to ensure the election process is safe, secure, and transparent,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said. “This includes protecting Washingtonians’ voter information and privacy. I will work with all stakeholders to ensure we maintain both.”
The Department of Justice has made similar requests to at least 22 other states as part of its efforts to enforce federal voter registration laws. However, under Washington law, information such as full dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers are classified as protected and are not included in the publicly available voter registration data.
“I do not plan on releasing any information until DOJ provides me information on what they plan to do with the data,” said Hobbs.
The Justice Department, in a written response, emphasized that enforcing federal election laws remains a “priority in this administration and in the Civil Rights Division.” A DOJ spokesperson said the Civil Rights Division’s request for state voter rolls falls within the department’s statutory authority granted by Congress to ensure states uphold proper voter registration procedures and maintain accurate, lawful voter rolls.
The Office of the Secretary of State, which oversees Washington’s elections, reiterated its commitment to transparency and public trust. Hobbs said his office will not release any sensitive voter data until the DOJ provides a clear explanation of how the information will be used.
“My office will respond to the DOJ once I’ve had the opportunity to fully assess that information while working with stakeholders, and ensuring our response meets both state and federal legal requirements,” Hobbs said.
