Trump voter fraud commission's request for voter data alarms states
Politics
Trump voter fraud commission's request for voter data alarms states
President Trump's commission investigating alleged voter fraud in the 2016 elections has asked states for a list of the names, party affiliations, addresses and voting histories of all voters, if state law allows it to be public. Secretaries of state have about two weeks to provide about a dozen points of voter data. That also would include dates of birth, the last four digits of voters' Social Security numbers and any information about felony convictions and military status. Some Democratic officials refused to comply, saying the request invades privacy and is based on false claims of fraud.
At best this commission was set up as a pretext to validate Donald Trump's alternative election facts, and at worst is a tool to commit large-scale voter suppression.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe
Trump, who created the commission through an executive order in May, lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton but has alleged, without evidence, that millions of people voted illegally. In addition to the voter information, a letter from the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity asks state officials for suggestions on improving election integrity and to share any evidence of fraud and election-related crimes in their states. Marc Lotter, a spokesman for Vice President Mike Pence, who is chairing the commission, described the intent of the request as "fact-finding" and said there were no objections to it by anyone on the 10-member commission, which includes four Democrats. Both California and Virginia officials said attention would be better spent upgrading aging voting systems or focusing on Russia's alleged election meddling.
California's participation would only serve to legitimize the false and already debunked claims of massive voter fraud.
Democratic Secretary of State Alex Padilla














