OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The state has denied a request by the U.S. Department of Justice to turn over private information for all of its registered voters.
KGMI previously reported that the DOJ sent a letter to Secretary of State Steve Hobbs earlier this month asking for a full copy of the state’s Voter Registration Database.
The Justice Department specifically asked for each residents’ driver’s license number and the last four digits of their Social Security number, among other data.
Hobbs says in Tuesday’s response that he shared all data that the state already makes public, such as name, address, birth year and voting history.
But he refused to send any information that’s considered protected under state law, including the last four digits of a Social Security number, driver’s license number and full date of birth.
Hobbs says his office is committed to transparency but won’t violate state and federal law to comply with the DOJ’s request.
He also noted concerns over the Justice Department’s shifting explanations for why it wants the information.
