DOJ Doubles Down on Demands for Maine’s Voter Data, Secretary of State Fires Back

The U.S. Department of Justice has escalated its demand for access to Maine’s voter registration records, now requesting that election officials turn over unredacted copies of voter rolls and every voter registration application submitted in the past 18 months.

In a letter sent Monday, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon ordered Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) to comply with the DOJ’s sweeping demand for voter data within a week.

The department insisted that the electronic copy of the voter registration list “must contain all fields, including the registrant’s full name, date of birth, residential address, his or her state driver’s license number or the last four digits of the registrant’s social security number.”

But the DOJ went even further, demanding copies of all original voter applications filed since late 2023.

“We also request by this letter a copy of all original and completed voter registration applications submitted to the State of Maine from December 1, 2023, through July 1, 2025,” Dhillon wrote. “To be clear, that means copies of all voter registration applications completed and submitted by prospective voters during that time period. When providing a copy of the requested completed registration applications Maine must ensure that they are provided in unredacted format.”

The scope of the DOJ’s demand — seeking both sensitive identifiers on the rolls and unredacted applications — has alarmed voting rights advocates.

Bellows, who rejected the DOJ’s initial request last month, telling federal officials they could “go jump in the Gulf of Maine,” is refusing to back down.

“I will do everything in my power to continue to protect sensitive, personal voter data of Maine citizens,” Bellows told Democracy Docket in a statement. “The U.S. Constitution entrusts the states, not the federal government and certainly not the President, with responsibility for administering elections. The Trump DOJ needs to respect the Constitution and rule of law.”

The DOJ letter cited the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1960 to justify its demand. The department acknowledged Maine’s concerns about privacy but brushed them aside, insisting it would keep the data confidential.

“Maine’s privacy laws, to the extent they are inconsistent with federal law, are preempted,” Dhillon added. “Unless otherwise ordered by a court of the United States, neither the Attorney General nor any employee of the Department of Justice, nor any other representative of the Attorney General, shall disclose any record or paper produced.”

The demand for unredacted voter data — including Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers — raises concerns about voter privacy and state control over elections.

It remains unclear whether the state or election officials will face legal action if they refuse.

Matt Cohen contributed to this reporting.