AUSTIN, Texas — Texas officials have provided the state’s full voter roll to the U.S. Department of Justice, complying with a Trump administration request for access to voter data as part of a nationwide election enforcement initiative.
A spokesperson for the Texas Secretary of State’s Office confirmed that the state transmitted its voter roll on Dec. 23, containing information on roughly 18.4 million registered voters. The data shared with the Justice Department includes identifying details such as dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
The Justice Department began requesting voter rolls from all 50 states last fall, saying the effort is necessary to enforce federal laws requiring states to regularly maintain voter registration lists and remove ineligible voters. According to DOJ officials, states that refuse to provide the information are interfering with federal oversight authority.
So far, the department has sued 23 states and Washington, D.C., for declining to voluntarily turn over voter roll data. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said last month that 13 states, including Texas, agreed to comply.
The move has raised legal and privacy concerns among election officials and voting rights groups nationwide. The Democratic National Committee warned that turning over such data could violate federal election law and lead to improper voter removals. DNC Chair Ken Martin described the request as a “big government power grab” that risks exposing sensitive voter information.
Texas officials said the data was provided with the understanding that it would not override the state’s obligations under the National Voter Registration Act or other federal protections. The state has not yet released the memorandum of understanding governing how the data will be used.
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