Civic Groups Sue IN SoS for Release of Personal Voter Data Illegally under State Law

Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson said she will give some Voter Information to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity as requested, but Indiana Civic Groups and others argue in a Lawsuit submitted to Lake County Court today that doing so Violates State Law. Lawson is a Member of the Controversial Commission.

“There’s no question that this commission is laying the groundwork for potential voter suppression,” said Patsy Hoyer and Oscar Anderson, Co-Presidents of the League of Women Voters of Indiana. “The request for data came from someone who has a history of advocating for voter suppression laws, and state officials should be using every tool at their disposal, including state law, to protect their sensitive information.”

“The NAACP has fought for fair voting rights since it was founded,” said Barbara Bolling-Williams of the Indiana State Conference of the NAACP. “This Commission is full of people who want to suppress the vote. Not on our watch.”

“The Commission cannot bypass state rules designed to protect sensitive voter information,” said Myrna Pérez, Deputy Director of the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program. “Lawson might be a member of this panel, but her first duty is to the Hoosiers who trusted her with personal information so that they could participate in fair and free elections in the state. She must proceed carefully and with legally mandated procedures before sharing voter data.”

Indiana Law only allows certain Parties access to Computerized Voter Registration Information for certain purposes, and the Commission’s Investigation and Public Disclosure of Data does not Qualify. To Legally obtain a Limited Amount of Data from Voter Rolls, the Panel must enter into a Written Agreement with the Secretary of State’s Election Division that Prevents it from using the Information in certain ways. Lawson made no Mention of such an Agreement in her response to the Commission’s Request.

The Organizational Plaintiffs in the Suit, The League of Women Voters of Indiana and the Indiana NAACP, are represented by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, Kirkland and Ellis LLP, and Trent A. McCain of McCain Law Offices, P.C.











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