EPIC, League of Women Voters, LULAC Sue DHS Over Secret Collection of Millions of Voter Records

What happened

The League of Women Voters, EPIC, and LULAC filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the Department of Homeland Security's collection and use of voter registration records from at least 47 states. The complaint alleges DHS obtained and combined sensitive personal data, including Social Security numbers and voting histories, with commercial data broker information without legal authority. Plaintiffs seek an injunction to halt the program, prohibit further use or sharing of the data, and require deletion of the amassed records.

Why it matters for trust and compliance

• Its status is filed. The case is still open; the outcome may change what it means.
• The case highlights a major privacy and surveillance dispute over the government's mass gathering of voter data.

Who is affected

Recommended actions

1. Check that privacy notices describe the practices this addresses.
2. Revisit retention schedules and data minimisation for the data involved.
3. Inventory where this data is shared or sold and whether opt-outs are honoured.
4. Map the security requirements to existing controls and close gaps.