Democrats Urge Protection of Voter Information Print
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Written by Wisconsin Senate, Tony Palese   
Saturday, 08 July 2017 09:37

donald-trumpRepublicans silent on Trump request for voter data and Social Security numbers.


MADISON – The top Democratic leaders in the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly have urged the state’s Elections Board to protect voter rights and reject a request from the Trump administration for sensitive voter information. The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity recently requested Wisconsin voters’ confidential information including voters’ dates of birth, partial Social Security Numbers, and partisan political preference.

jen-shilling“The Commission’s request would jeopardize voter rights and violate Wisconsin privacy laws,” said Senate Democratic Leader Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse). “Close advisors to President Trump are still under investigation for potential election violations and inappropriate contact with Russian agents. The last thing we should do in the midst of these ongoing investigations is hand sensitive voter data over to the Trump administration.”

peter-barca“There have been repeated attempts by Republicans in Wisconsin and in Washington, D.C. to suppress voter participation in our Democracy,” said Assembly Democratic Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha). "We have heard from a number of sources that this request by Trump’s administration could very well end up as a thinly veiled attempt to take state-level schemes to kick Democratic voters off voting rolls to a national scale. We need Gov. Walker and Legislative Republicans to join us in this effort to protect voter privacy and prevent the Trump administration from overstepping its authority.”

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NOTE: A copy of the letter to the Elections Board is here. Thanks to Tony Palese and Olivia Hwang for this article.