Alaska Judge Allows Voter Privacy Lawsuit Against State to Proceed
Judge Adolf Zeman denied a state request to dismiss a lawsuit alleging the Alaska Division of Elections illegally shared unredacted voter data with the DOJ.
An Alaska Superior Court judge ruled that a lawsuit alleging the violation of voters' privacy rights can proceed to discovery and fact-finding. Adolf Zeman denied a request by the Alaska Division of Elections to dismiss the case, which was filed by the League of Women Voters, the Alaska Black Caucus, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska.
The plaintiffs argue that the Division of Elections and Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom violated the state constitution by providing an unredacted voter list to the U.S. Department of Justice. This data included home addresses, driver's license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers. A memo signed by Division Director Carol Beecher authorized the DOJ to identify ineligible voters for removal within 45 days and permitted the sharing of that data with private contractors.
While the state argued that the plaintiffs lacked standing and that no harm had occurred, Judge Zeman stated the state gave the DOJ "carte blanche" to submit names for removal. He noted that the court remains unconvinced that specific clauses could shield the matter from judicial consideration, leaving the privacy claims open for further legal review.
