DOJ releases legal rationale for nationwide voter data collection | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"The memo claims a robust executive branch role vetting voter eligibility. One Secretary of State called it a \u201cfantasy\u201d that \u201cisn\u2019t worth the paper it\u2019s printed on.\u201d\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/federal-voter-data-collection-doj-legal-memo\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"DOJ releases legal rationale for nationwide voter data collection\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The memo claims a robust executive branch role vetting voter eligibility. 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<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <main id=\"main\" role=\"main\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-mobile\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"stickybar\" class=\"stickybar stickybar--newsletter js-stickybar\" readability=\"0.82\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"25.441283292978\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"33.342281879195\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/federal-voter-data-collection-doj-legal-memo\/\"> <span>Election Security<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> The memo claims a robust executive branch role vetting voter eligibility. One Secretary of State called it a \u201cfantasy\u201d that \u201cisn\u2019t worth the paper it\u2019s printed on.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/88991\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div readability=\"11\">\n<div>\n<p>Listen to this article<\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>0:00<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"tts-tooltip\">Learn more.<\/span> <span> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-5.jpg 6323w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-5.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-5.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-5.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-5.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-5.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-5.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-5.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-5.jpg?resize=505,337 505w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-5.jpg?resize=1012,675 1012w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-5.jpg?resize=1264,843 1264w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1012px) 100vw, 1012px\"><figcaption> Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks as FBI Director Kash Patel listens at a press conference at the Department of Justice on April 27, 2026 in Washington, DC. The officials took questions from the press and gave updates about the case against Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"45.553278688525\"><body readability=\"93.375231815372\"><\/p>\n<p>The Trump administration released a legal opinion outlining the legal rationale behind its nationwide voter data collection efforts, justifying an aggressive federal role in vetting voter eligibility, a position courts have repeatedly rejected in related litigation. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/olc\/media\/1440346\/dl\">memo<\/a>, released Tuesday by the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel, concedes that while election administration is \u201cprimarily the purview of the states,\u201d the administration\u2019s efforts are a lawful exercise of federal oversight. <\/p>\n<p>The Justice Department grounds that rationale in a provision of the 1960 Civil Rights Act, requiring election officials to keep voter records for 22 months after an election so it can investigate potential civil rights violations. Under the memo\u2019s reading, that retention rule also gives the Attorney General authority to obtain copies of those records \u201cupon demand in writing.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The memo also cites several other federal election laws \u2013 like the Help America Vote Act, the National Voter Registration Act and the Voting Rights Act \u2013 as support for the executive branch\u2019s efforts. It argues that those statutes have long required states to modernize and secure voting systems (including accessibility upgrades) and maintain accurate voter rolls by removing ineligible voters.<\/p>\n<p>The memo further argues that the potential presence of one or more non-citizens on state voter rolls is enough to trigger the federal government\u2019s nationwide data collection and sharing efforts with immigration authorities.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cBecause illegal aliens are ineligible to vote, these generally applicable laws are also implicated by an illegal alien\u2019s presence on a state\u2019s voter rolls,\u201d the memo states.<\/p>\n<p>Multiple federal courts have come to the opposite conclusion, dismissing half a dozen lawsuits from DOJ and the Department of Homeland Security that would force states to comply. Further, states have repeatedly confirmed through recounts, audits, investigations and lawsuits that the number of non-citizens registered to vote (and who end up actually casting ballots) in U.S. elections is infinitesimal.<\/p>\n<p>David Becker, executive director of the Center of Election Innovation and Research, noted in a <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/beckerdavidj.bsky.social\/post\/3mlp6uzfo7c27\">post<\/a> on BlueSky that \u201c6 courts, including 2 judges appointed by the current president, think this \u2018opinion\u2019 isn\u2019t worth the paper it\u2019s written on.\u201d Becker, a former DOJ senior trial attorney in the voting section of the Civil Rights Division, has consistently argued that the executive branch and White House have no legal or constitutional role to play in vetting state voter registration. <\/p>\n<p>Sarah Copeland Hanzas, Secretary of State for Vermont, gave a similar reaction when CyberScoop reached out for comment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not worth the paper it\u2019s printed on,\u201d Hanzas said in a statement. \u201cOr the electrons it takes to store and transmit 41 pages of fantasy.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Election officials have largely resisted the federal government\u2019s demands. Earlier this year, West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner told CyberScoop he had no intentions of handing over more information than is already publicly available.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf they want it, they can have it: $500 dollars for [anyone to buy] the statewide list, but they\u2019re not getting personal information,\u201d Warner said in a January interview. \u201cState law says we\u2019re not sharing that and my job is to carry out the law laid out by the West Virginia legislature.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The inability of the federal government to point to serious evidence of mass voter fraud or non-citizen voting has led states to rebuff attempts to collect sensitive data on every voter in their state, including names, social security numbers, home addresses, voter history and other details. <\/p>\n<p>The administration says it intends to cross-check state data against immigration records, <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/voter-citizenship-verification-trump-save-database\/\">share that data<\/a> with DHS and immigration enforcement agencies and ultimately create its own list of eligible voters. An executive order issued by the White House earlier this year <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/white-house-elections-executive-order-limits-mail-voting-creates-federal-voter-lists\/\">sought to deny federal funding<\/a> to states that did not accept voter lists from the federal government and directed the Attorney General to investigate state election officials for voter roll discrepancies. Voting groups have challenged the order\u2019s legality, and a previous election-related executive order was <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/elections-white-house-executive-order-court-proof-of-citizenship-requirements\/\">largely ruled unconstitutional<\/a> by the courts.<\/p>\n<p>The administration has sued dozens of states who have refused to hand such data over, though it has yet to convince courts of the merit. One judge called the administration\u2019s efforts \u201cunprecedented and illegal\u201d and accused the administration of twisting the Civil Rights Act and other federal laws that were passed \u201cto protect hard won civil rights victories allowing access to the ballot box\u201d in order to obtain unfettered access to state voter data.<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"3.1069182389937\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"13\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Derek B. Johnson\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Derek B. Johnson<\/h4>\n<p> Derek B. Johnson is a reporter at CyberScoop, where his beat includes cybersecurity, elections and the federal government. Prior to that, he has provided award-winning coverage of cybersecurity news across the public and private sectors for various publications since 2017. Derek has a bachelor\u2019s degree in print journalism from Hofstra University in New York and a master\u2019s degree in public policy from George Mason University in Virginia. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div class=\"popular-stories__container\">\n<h2 class=\"popular-stories__title\"> More Scoops <\/h2>\n<div class=\"popular-stories__stories\">\n<div class=\"popular-stories__cards\">\n<article class=\"post-item post-item--popular-stories-cards \" readability=\"22.846153846154\">\n<figure class=\"post-item__thumbnail\"> <a class=\"post-item__thumbnail-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/delia-ramirez-house-homeland-cybersecurity-subcommittee-ranking-member\/\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"506\" height=\"337\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-2.jpg?resize=506%2C337&ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-ratio-16-9-md size-ratio-16-9-md wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-6.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-6.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-6.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-6.jpg?resize=1024,682 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-6.jpg?resize=1536,1023 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-6.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-6.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-6.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-6.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-6.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 506px) 100vw, 506px\"> <\/a><figcaption class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-ll., speaks during an oversight forum with Democratic members of the House Homeland Security Committee at the U.S. Capitol Building on July 22, 2025. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<header class=\"post-item__meta\" readability=\"2.8477366255144\">\n<h3 class=\"post-item__title\"> <a class=\"post-item__title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/delia-ramirez-house-homeland-cybersecurity-subcommittee-ranking-member\/\"> Rep. Delia Ramirez takes over as top House cybersecurity Dem <\/a> <\/h3>\n<p> She replaces Rep. Eric Swalwell following his resignation, giving her the position of ranking member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection. <\/p>\n<div class=\"post-item__byline\"> <span class=\"post-item__author\"> <span>By <\/span> <a class=\"post-item__author-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/author\/tim-starkscyberscoop-com\/\"> Tim Starks <\/a> <\/span> <\/div>\n<p> <\/header>\n<p> <\/article>\n<article class=\"post-item post-item--popular-stories-cards \">\n<figure class=\"post-item__thumbnail\"> <a class=\"post-item__thumbnail-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cisa-director-pick-sean-plankey-withdraws-his-nomination\/\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"252\" height=\"168\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-3.jpg?resize=252%2C168&ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-ratio-16-9-sm size-ratio-16-9-sm wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-7.jpg 4000w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-7.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-7.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-7.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-7.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-7.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-7.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-7.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-7.jpg?resize=505,337 505w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-7.jpg?resize=1012,675 1012w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-7.jpg?resize=1264,843 1264w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px\"> <\/a><figcaption class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Sean Plankey, of Pennsylvania, responds to questioning during Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearings to examine his nomination to be Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, of the Department of Homeland Security, in the Dirksen Senate office building, in Washington, DC, on Wednesday July 24, 2025. (Mattie Neretin\/CNP\/Sipa USA) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<header class=\"post-item__meta\">\n<h3 class=\"post-item__title\"> <a class=\"post-item__title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cisa-director-pick-sean-plankey-withdraws-his-nomination\/\"> CISA director pick Sean Plankey withdraws his nomination <\/a> <\/h3>\n<div class=\"post-item__byline\"> <span class=\"post-item__author\"> <span>By <\/span> <a class=\"post-item__author-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/author\/tim-starkscyberscoop-com\/\"> Tim Starks <\/a> <\/span> <\/div>\n<p> <\/header>\n<p> <\/article>\n<article class=\"post-item post-item--popular-stories-cards \">\n<figure class=\"post-item__thumbnail\"> <a class=\"post-item__thumbnail-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/section-702-fisa-surveillance-law-renewal-congress-debate\/\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"252\" height=\"168\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-4.jpg?resize=252%2C168&ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-ratio-16-9-sm size-ratio-16-9-sm wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-8.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-8.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-8.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-8.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-8.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-8.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-8.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-8.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-8.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection-8.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px\"> <\/a><figcaption class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States Kash Patel is seen in the Capitol near a meeting on the administration\u2019s use of FISA authority on March 18, 2026. (Photo by Alex Kent\/The Washington Post via Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<header class=\"post-item__meta\">\n<h3 class=\"post-item__title\"> <a class=\"post-item__title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/section-702-fisa-surveillance-law-renewal-congress-debate\/\"> The surveillance law Congress can\u2019t quit \u2014 and can\u2019t explain <\/a> <\/h3>\n<div class=\"post-item__byline\"> <span class=\"post-item__author\"> <span>By <\/span> <a class=\"post-item__author-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/author\/tim-starkscyberscoop-com\/\"> Tim Starks <\/a> <\/span> <\/div>\n<p> <\/header>\n<p> <\/article>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/div>\n<p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<section class=\"latest-podcasts\">\n<h2 class=\"latest-podcasts__title\"> Latest Podcasts\t<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"top-categories\">\n<div class=\"top-categories__container\">\n<h3 class=\"top-categories__category-title\">Government<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div 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{"id":8640,"date":"2026-05-13T15:10:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T20:10:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=88991"},"modified":"2026-05-13T15:10:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T20:10:21","slug":"doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2026\/05\/13\/doj-releases-legal-rationale-for-nationwide-voter-data-collection\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ releases legal rationale for nationwide voter data collection"},"content":{"rendered":"