Common Cause files lawsuit in hopes of protecting Nebraska voters

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Common Cause Nebraska filed a lawsuit Monday to help protect Nebraska voters.

The lawsuit seeks to prevent Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen from sharing sensitive voter information with federal officials.

On Sept. 8, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to Evnen demanding “all fields” of Nebraska’s voter registration list.

That includes every registered voter’s full name, date of birth, residential address and his or her state’s driver’s license number or the last four digits of their social security number.

According to Common Cause, that request — if fulfilled — violates Nebraska law.

Common Cause is calling on Evnen to stop any efforts to share the voter file with the federal government, since states have authority over their own elections.

“Unelected bureaucrats in Washington have no business accessing every Nebraskans’ sensitive personal information. Not now, not ever,” said Gavin Geis, Common Cause Nebraska Executive Director. “State law protects our information for good reason. Will Secretary Evnen be responsible if this information is hacked? Will taxpayers be on the hook to pay any settlements? We’re calling on the Secretary to protect Nebraskans’ personal information and comply with state law to keep all of us safe from fraud and abuse of our data.”

“This push for voter data is part of the Trump administration’s broader playbook—using government power to target communities instead of protecting them,” said Omar Noureldin, Common Cause Senior Vice President for Policy & Litigation. “The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division should be focused on fighting discrimination and intimidation to safeguard every American’s right to vote, not weaponizing sensitive information against voters.”

Common Cause hopes to receive a temporary restraining order to prevent Evnen from handing over any information until these issues are resolved.

You can view the lawsuit here. You can see the motion for a temporary restraining order here.

Read more about Common Cause on their website.