Attorney General says Washington reviewing DOJ request for 10 years of voter-registration data

The Washington attorney general said the state is reviewing a Department of Justice request for 10 years of voter-registration data and is coordinating closely with the Secretary of State's office and other client agencies to analyze the legal basis for the request.

“The Department of Justice has requested 10 years — 10 years worth of voting data here in Washington state,” the attorney general said, adding that the request is similar to others made in California and elsewhere.

Nut graf: The attorney general said the office will oppose any illegal request but will comply with lawful obligations. He framed the request in the broader context of what he described as federal efforts to challenge states’ authority to manage election systems.

The attorney general said his office is working directly with client agencies and will respond "in accordance with the law." He called the scope of the request — a decade of records — “pretty astounding” and said the state will analyze the request with its client agencies before deciding how to respond.

Reporters raised possible uses for the data, including immigration or criminal enforcement; the attorney general replied that if a request is illegal the office will oppose it, and if it has a legal basis the state will provide the information under applicable law.

He also pointed reporters to ongoing litigation in which Washington and other states are challenging federal actions related to elections and executive orders that the attorney general said aim to undercut states’ authority over voting systems.