ACLU Files Motion to Block DOJ Access to Kentucky Voter Data in Federal Lawsuit
A legal battle over voter data in Kentucky is intensifying after civil rights groups stepped into a federal lawsuit involving the state’s top election official.
The ACLU of Kentucky filed a motion to intervene in a case against Secretary of State Michael Adams, arguing the outcome could determine whether sensitive personal information about Kentucky voters is turned over to federal authorities. According to WKYT, the filing represents the League of Women Voters of Kentucky, the New Americans Initiative, and two individual voters.
The underlying lawsuit was filed by the U.S. Department of Justice after Adams refused to provide the state’s voter registration database. Federal officials have asked for records that could include voters’ full names, addresses, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers.
Kentucky officials say state law protects that information unless a court orders its release, framing the dispute as a question of voter privacy versus federal election oversight.
Civil rights groups argue the stakes are broader, warning that the federal request could expose highly sensitive data or be used to challenge voter eligibility in certain communities.
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“The Trump administration’s efforts to invasively access the sensitive data of voters is a serious threat to our democracy,” said Adriel I. Cepeda Derieux of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project.
Supporters of the federal lawsuit say the Justice Department is authorized under federal law to request election records and that the information is necessary to ensure accurate voter rolls and election integrity.
The dispute is part of a wider national effort by the DOJ to obtain voter registration information from multiple states as part of election oversight investigations.
The case will now proceed in federal court, where a judge will decide whether the civil rights groups can formally join the lawsuit and whether Kentucky must release the voter data.
The ruling could shape how states balance voter privacy with federal election enforcement.
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