The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against Oklahoma, accusing the state of failing to provide complete voter registration lists upon request. This action adds Oklahoma to a list of five states facing similar legal challenges from the DOJ, which claims the states are not cooperating with efforts to ensure election security.

State Law vs. Federal Demand

Oklahoma’s State Election Board responded by stating that the state did provide the requested voter list, but is legally bound to protect voters’ personally identifiable information, including driver’s license numbers and Social Security numbers.

Jim Provenzano, Chair of the Democratic Congressional District 1, explained that Oklahoma cannot provide the full range of data requested by the DOJ. ‘He gave them everything that he could except for social security numbers and drivers’ license info which by law in Oklahoma he can’t do,’ Provenzano said.

Provenzano emphasized that Oklahoma is known for its secure election processes, a reputation that was highlighted during a recount of the 2022 Tulsa mayoral election. ‘One of the things about Oklahoma, we do have one of the most secure elections,’ said an attorney observing the recount.

Privacy Concerns and Federal Oversight

Provenzano expressed surprise at the DOJ’s request for social security numbers and drivers’ license information. ‘What surprised me about it is the fact that the federal government pushed back on that for us to violate our state law,’ he said.

Cheryl Wilburg of the Tulsa County GOP countered that the federal government already has access to such information. ‘The feds already have our social security numbers because they issued them,’ Wilburg said. She argued that the information could help the DOJ clean up voter rolls. ‘They’ve already got it anyway, this just saves them 14 steps in looking this information up,’ she added.

Provenzano, however, maintained that the law exists to protect personal information from misuse. ‘Then why do we have the law to protect social security numbers and drivers’ license info to begin with, right? Somewhere along the line somebody misused that information. And it’s not because we’re trying to hide anything, we just don’t want to allow other people to misuse our personal information. And that’s why we have the law to begin with,’ he said.

Trust and Election Integrity

Wilburg expressed no concerns about how the information might be used, stating that she trusts the DOJ. ‘We trust our DOJ currently and we know that they’re out to help us clean up the voter rolls so that we have election integrity which is something we’ve been fighting for for a while,’ she said.

The debate over access to personal information has become a focal point in the broader discussion about election security. Provenzano emphasized Oklahoma’s stance on state independence and privacy. ‘We as a state are very protective of personal, and we are very independent, and we’ve always been a state that would prefer the federal government not tell us what to do,’ he said.

The lawsuit comes amid a growing number of legal actions between the federal government and states over election procedures and data sharing. Oklahoma’s case could set a precedent for how states handle voter information and the extent to which federal agencies can demand access to such data.

The DOJ has not yet commented on the specific legal arguments presented by Oklahoma, but the case is expected to be heard in federal court within the next six months. The outcome could influence future interactions between the federal government and states over election administration and data privacy.