Oklahoma Election Board Rejects DOJ Request for Voter SSNs, Cites State Law
A dispute between federal officials and Oklahoma election authorities is escalating after the Justice Department demanded access to sensitive voter information.
According to reporting by KFOR and other outlets, the U.S. Department of Justice asked the Oklahoma State Election Board to provide detailed voter records, including identifiers like driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.
State officials refused, saying Oklahoma law requires that information to remain confidential and cannot be shared with federal agencies.
The request is part of a broader nationwide effort by federal officials to obtain unredacted voter registration lists from multiple states to review election roll accuracy.
But the situation in Oklahoma also includes a bureaucratic twist.
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Public records show DOJ attorneys sent several follow-up emails demanding the data to the wrong address, meaning election officials never received them for months.
Once the communication error was discovered, the department renewed its demand for the voter data.
Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said the state would comply if it were legally allowed, but emphasized that Social Security and driver’s license numbers are explicitly protected under state law.
Officials say legal staff are still reviewing the request as similar disputes over voter data play out in courts across the country.
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