A string of swing states critical to tilting the national balance of power toward Democrats or Republicans are among those being scrutinized by the Department of Justice over concerns they may be out of compliance with federal regulations on elections.
In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order suggesting the United States lacks election security and ordering, among other things, the enforcement of a prohibition on foreign nationals voting in federal elections. State and local officials suspected of being out of line with the order could be at risk of being prosecuted by the DOJ under the executive action.
In the following months, the DOJ has followed up with a series of letters and requests to around a dozen states, including battleground states Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, and Wisconsin. Other states targeted for voter rolls include Alaska, Minnesota, Florida, Oklahoma, New York, New Hampshire, and Colorado, per the Washington Post.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission office confirmed on Thursday that it received a request from the DOJ asking for data about the state’s voter registration rolls, pointing the Washington Examiner to a list of questions from the Justice Department now posted on the WEC’s website.
The Nevada Secretary of State’s Office likewise confirmed that the state received a letter request from the DOJ related to voter roll data and information. Limited access to voter roll data is routine as it relates to interactions between state and federal governments. Broader petitions, such as the DOJ’s expansive request for an agreement to share certain information on voters in Nevada, are more unusual and fall under the purview of Trump’s March executive order. Some elements of that order were blocked by the courts. However, aspects regarding the Trump administration’s requests to states like Nevada remain enforceable.
Arizona was also among the battleground states that received a letter from the DOJ requesting further information about voters on July 10, according to Stateline, with the department’s move coming after it had engaged in a months-long back-and-forth with Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes over whether he had taken sufficient voter security measures.
“We are focused on dealing with DOJ in a good faith manner while ensuring we are following the letter of federal and state laws,” Fontes’s office said.
In Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, the DOJ appears to be focused on finding and prosecuting election crimes, which was a focus of Trump’s March executive order, according to Votebeat.
DOJ CONSIDERS CRIMINAL CHARGES FOR STATE OFFICIALS OVER ELECTION INTEGRITY POLICIES
The DOJ asked those states to set up an agreement to share information on election crimes, such as individuals providing false information on registration forms or registering to vote when they are ineligible, per the outlet.
“With your cooperation, we plan to use this information to enforce Federal election laws and protect the integrity of Federal elections,” DOJ lawyers wrote in emails to the states.
