Elections Administrator Rejects Trump Administration Voter Data Request
State Board of Elections Administrator Linda Lamone has rejected a request for Maryland’s voter data by a Trump administration commission.
Here is the link to our response to the Presidential Advisory Commission. https://t.co/kFFi267y9e
— Maryland Elections (@md_sbe) July 3, 2017
Here’s her statement:
In an earlier statement, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh said he found the request “repugnant.” It came from a commission investigating the president’s belief that millions voted illegally in the 2016 election.
“[I]t appears designed only to intimidate voters and to indulge President Trump’s fantasy that he won the popular vote,” Frosh said in a statement published on the attorney general’s website. “Repeating incessantly a false story of expansive voter fraud, and then creating a commission to fuel that narrative, does not make it any more true.”
Frosh’s statement follows the release of a letter to Gov. Larry Hogan, signed by as many as 52 Maryland lawmakers, asking the govenor to resist the releasing the voter data.
The letter says “… a mass request by the federal government for records of millions of Marylanders is unprecedented and raises serious concerns about the security of that data and the uses to which they could be put.”
About 25 Montgomery County legislators signed on to the letter. On Twitter, Del. David Moon of Takoma Park thanked the efforts Del. Eric Luedtke for organizing legislators.
“I got to tell you, when this hit the news, I was hearing from constituents immediately,” Luedtke said. “And I think all of my colleagues were as well, and they expected us to stand up and make a statement.”
Said Del. Kumar Barve of Gaithersburg: “There’s not a shred of evidence of systematic or even unsystematic voter fraud in state of Maryland.” He called the data request an attempt to divert attention from the administration’s possible collusion with the Russians in the election.
“This whole claim of voter fraud is on a par equal to whether the moon landings were fake; it’s that level of inquiry,” Barve said.
Frosh’s statement said no evidence exists that “the integrity of the 2016 election in Maryland — or any other state — was compromised by voter fraud.” He urged Hogan and the State Board of Elections “to reject any further attempt to intimidate voters and obtain their personal information.”
Frosh’s statement concludes: “I will continue to take all necessary steps to protect the private personal information of Maryland voters and the integrity of Maryland’s voting process.”
MD legislators feel strongly that voter personal info shouldn't be shared w the voter suppression commission. 49 now signed onto this ltr. pic.twitter.com/vge81QXcnm
— Eric Luedtke (@EricLuedtke) July 3, 2017
Here is the letter that the legislators have signed:
Luedtke said no Republicans had signed the letter, but that was based on timing, not party lines.
“This is one of those issues I don’t think is partisan. It’s about protecting voter data,” Luedtke said.
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