Today, we learned that the U.S. Department of Justice has asked Nebraska’s Secretary of State to turn over the state’s full, unredacted voter registration list. The request, signed by Harmeet Dhillon of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, seeks names, addresses, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and even the last four digits of Social Security numbers for every registered voter in Nebraska. The department gave Secretary Bob Evnen until Monday, Sept. 22, to comply.

For now, the Secretary of State’s office has referred the matter to the Nebraska Attorney General. That’s an important step, because this is a request that carries enormous risks for Nebraskans, and it deserves our full scrutiny. Meanwhile, dozens of other states have received the same letter. Some have complied partially, sharing only public data. Others, like Minnesota and Maine, rejected the request outright. DOJ has now escalated by suing Maine and Oregon to compel disclosure.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this play. In 2017, during his first term and after falsely insisting he lost the 2016 popular vote because millions had voted illegally in California, the president created a so-called “election integrity” commission. That panel demanded voter data from every state, but the push collapsed when both Republicans and Democrats refused. Mississippi’s Republican secretary of state memorably told the administration to “go jump in the Gulf of Mexico.” Then-Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale wasn’t as descriptive as his Mississippi counterpart, but also shared concerns.

Now the tactic has returned, but in a new form. Rather than through a short-lived commission, it is deploying the full weight of the Justice Department – led by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has openly wielded her office against the president’s critics – to pursue the exact same goal.

We urge Nebraskans to speak up now. Contact the Secretary of State’s office and encourage it not to release unredacted voter data to the federal government. Your voice matters; when state officials hear directly from the people they serve, they are more likely to protect your privacy, your security, and your right to participate freely in our democracy. Use the Secretary of State’s online contact form at https://sos.nebraska.gov/contact to share your opposition.

At stake is more than bureaucratic housekeeping. The administration is reportedly working to assemble a national voter database. This tool could be misused to prop up the president’s baseless narrative of rampant voter fraud and to erode public trust in American elections.

Election officials across the political spectrum have voiced alarm. They note that the requested identifiers – driver’s license numbers, dates of birth, Social Security digits – are precisely what cybercriminals need to commit fraud. Legal scholars have also raised concerns that the requests may conflict with the federal Privacy Act of 1974.

A public version of Nebraska’s voter file is already available for a fee. It includes names and addresses but excludes sensitive identifiers, and voters can opt to keep phone numbers and emails private. That balance provides transparency without needless risk. But the DOJ’s demand goes far beyond what state law provides.

If Nebraska hands over unredacted voter data:

›› Identity theft risk will skyrocket. Centralizing this much information creates an attractive target for hackers.

›› Privacy will be undermined. Voters trust the state to protect their information. Breaking that trust erodes confidence in elections.

›› Participation will suffer. If Nebraskans fear registering to vote means exposing their most personal details, some will hesitate to register at all.

›› A bad precedent will be set. Future administrations could demand similar or even broader disclosures, politicizing voter data management.

Federalism matters here. The states administer elections. While federal law provides guardrails, it is not a blank check to demand unredacted files from every voter in the country. Nebraska has lawful ways to keep rolls accurate with regular audits, list maintenance, and interstate partnerships without risking privacy.

Also, protecting voter privacy is inseparable from protecting the right to vote. When Nebraskans can cast their ballots without fear of their personal information being exposed, our democracy grows stronger.

That’s why we urge you to tell Nebraska’s leaders to provide only what state law makes public, reject disclosure of sensitive identifiers, and demand clear legal authority, necessity, and security before answering any federal request. Simply put, your vote should never cost you your privacy.