Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said he will not immediately comply with a federal request to turn over the state’s complete voter registration database until the U.S. Department of Justice explains how it plans to use the sensitive personal information.
The DOJ sent a letter Monday requesting a full copy of Washington’s voter database within 14 days, signed by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon. The request seeks registrants’ full names, birth dates, residential addresses and either state driver’s license numbers or the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
At least 22 states have received similar requests for complete voter rolls.
“As Washington’s chief election official, it is my responsibility to ensure the election process is safe, secure, and transparent,” Hobbs said. “This includes protecting Washingtonians’ voter information and privacy. I will work with all stakeholders to ensure we maintain both.”
Hobbs said his office will not release any information until the DOJ provides details about its intended use of the data. He plans to respond after fully assessing the request while working with stakeholders and ensuring compliance with state and federal legal requirements.
Under Washington state law, full birth dates, driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers are protected information not included in the publicly available voter registration database.
The Secretary of State’s office said it prioritizes election integrity while ensuring voter information security and privacy.
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