The leading election official in Pennsylvania has pushed back against the Trump administration’s latest requests. The administration was seeking confidential personal information, specifically driver’s licenses and social security numbers for voters across all states.
In a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division, Federal Secretary Al Schmidt expressed his concerns. He characterized the request as an attempt to broaden federal influence over the electoral process in the country.
Reports indicate that President Trump’s administration contacted various states, asserting that compliance with the National Voter Registration Act and US voting laws is necessary to gather more detailed information about registered voters. This push seems to be part of Trump’s broader allegations about non-citizen voting, despite a lack of substantial evidence supporting claims of ineligible voters participating in elections.
Schmidt, who identifies as a Republican, offered to share a public version of his voter list that would include basic information such as names, ages, addresses, and voting histories. However, he highlighted that disclosing driver’s license numbers would violate both social security regulations and state law.
In his letter, he emphasized the importance of safeguarding the personal information entrusted to county election officials by Pennsylvanians. “As Pennsylvania’s election manager, I take my duty seriously to ensure that county election officials maintain their voter roles faithfully,” he stated.
Schmidt also noted that none of the legal justifications provided by the DOJ were sufficient to warrant ignoring the strong voter privacy protections enshrined in federal law.
The DOJ has yet to respond to requests for comment on this matter.
In a communication dated August 14, Hermet Dillon, an adviser with the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, indicated that more information is needed to confirm Pennsylvania’s compliance with federal list maintenance requirements.
Schmidt had previously won public admiration for his resistance to Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, given his participation on the Philadelphia election panel. He notably refuted the conspiracy theories suggesting widespread fraud and corruption concerning voter roles in Pennsylvania.
Reflecting on social media’s chaotic information landscape, he commented, “I have seen the most fantastical things.” In November 2020, he made these remarks during an interview with CNN.
Pennsylvania’s Governor Josh Shapiro appointed Schmidt to oversee the state’s election operations in 2023.
