Voting Rights Groups Move to Intervene in DOJ Lawsuit to Protect Oklahoma Voters’ Private Data

The Department of Justice’s request for sensitive voter data is yet another example of voter suppression, a tool long used to silence the voices of already marginalized communities,” said Laiba Fatima. “As a naturalized citizen, I fought to be in this country, and I deserve an opportunity to help shape its future.”

"The DOJ’s lawsuit is an attack on Oklahoma’s right to keep its voters’ private data private, said Lynn Staggs, president of the League of Women Voters of Oklahoma. “Oklahoma elections are secure and this demand from the federal government is dangerous government overreach and an attack on democracy. The League is proud to fight to keep Oklahoma voters' private data safe and accurate.”

The filing comes after the DOJ’s demand in December 2025 for private information — including voters’ full names, dates of birth, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers — that is protected under state and federal law. In response, the Secretary of Oklahoma’s State Election Board and chief election officer, Paul Ziriax, refused to turn over the full unredacted voter list and instead provided instructions on how to access the public version of the voter file.

“Once again, the Department of Justice is suing a state for upholding the laws and protecting voter privacy,” said Caren Short, director of legal and research for the League of Women Voters. “These attacks by this administration against Oklahoma are yet another example of the assaults on voters, particularly for communities already facing obstacles to casting their ballot. The League will continue to stand with voters to defend their privacy and ability to vote freely and without fear.”

“We know what happens when the government starts collecting sensitive personal information without telling voters how their information could be used or shared. It creates fear, undermines trust, and discourages participation in targeted communities,” said Juan Proaňo, CEO of LULAC. “LULAC is stepping in because voting should not come with the threat that your personal information could be weaponized against you.”

“Every eligible voter should have the freedom to cast a ballot and have it counted, but secretive programs by the federal government that hide how their data is used, put that freedom in jeopardy,” said Tamya Cox-Touré, executive director for the ACLU of Oklahoma. “The Department of Justice’s demand for unredacted voter files has no legal basis and would put Oklahomans’ private data at risk. Courts have consistently recognized that, while some aspects of voter data constitute a public record, states are well within their rights to withhold voters’ most sensitive personal information. The ACLU of Oklahoma will continue to fight for the privacy and voting rights of all Oklahomans."

"The Department of Justice is seeking access to highly sensitive voter data with no legitimate or legal justification,” said Will Hughes, staff attorney with the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project. “When voters fear their personal information could be exposed or misused, participation suffers. We are intervening to protect voter privacy and ensure every eligible voter can engage in our democracy without fear.”

“The unlawful demand for Oklahoma’s confidential voter data is part of a systematic effort to chill voter participation, weaponize the federal government against states, and chip away at the fundamental right to vote,” said Pooja Chaudhuri, deputy legal director at Democracy Defenders Fund. “Secretary Ziriax was right to refuse this unlawful, irrational fishing expedition."

In February, the Department of Justice filed suit against Secretary Ziriax for refusing to turn over Oklahoma’s voters’ private data. The lawsuit is one of many against numerous states as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to build a national repository of voter information without congressional authorization or oversight, and to use that repository to purge voters.

The League of Women Voters of Oklahoma, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and Laiba Fatima are represented in this matter by the ACLU, the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma, and the Democracy Defenders Fund.