State Faces Lawsuit Over Voter Data Sharing
Civil rights groups sue Alaska over sharing voter data with the Department of Justice, raising concerns about privacy, voting rights, and state law.Civil rights organizations have filed a lawsuit challenging Alaska’s decision to share unredacted voter registration data with the federal government, setting up a legal battle over privacy, election integrity, and the scope of state authority. The case, filed in Alaska Superior Court in Anchorage, was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, alongside the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project. The groups are representing the League of Women Voters of Alaska and the Alaska Black Caucus.
At the center of the lawsuit is a December 2025 decision by the Alaska Division of Elections to provide the U.S. Department of Justice with the state’s full voter registration list. According to the complaint, the data included sensitive personal details such as names, dates of birth, home addresses, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers. Plaintiffs argue that the disclosure violated Alaska’s constitutional right to privacy and created risks for voters. Marianne Mills, co-president of the League of Women Voters of Alaska, said, “Protecting voters’ confidential information is a non-partisan issue. Alaskan voters must be able to trust that the agency tasked with administering our statewide elections is doing everything in its power to protect Alaskans’ privacy and lawful right to vote.” The lawsuit also challenges an agreement between the state and the Department of Justice that would require Alaska to “clean” its voter rolls based on federal determinations. Critics say this could lead to improper removals. Yolandous “Doyle” Williams of the Alaska Black Caucus warned that the move “undermine[s] the very core of our democracy by risking the disenfranchisement of voters.” Attorneys for the plaintiffs say the issue goes beyond data sharing. Eric Glatt, legal director for the ACLU of Alaska, said, “The right to vote and our right to privacy are two core values held dear by Alaskans.” He added that the lawsuit seeks court intervention to ensure those rights are upheld. State officials have not yet been formally served but have pushed back on the claims. In a statement, Alaska Department of Law spokesperson Sam Curtis said, “We’ve only just learned of the complaint and have not yet been served, so it would be premature to comment on the specific claims.” He emphasized that Alaska law “expressly permits the sharing of this information for authorized governmental purposes,” and said the state will defend that statute in court. The plaintiffs are asking the court to order the destruction of the shared data, void the agreement, and block further transfers. A ruling could take months or longer, leaving the broader questions about voter data and federal oversight unresolved for now. |