Texas Voter Registration Records Turned Over to U.S. DOJ - Why???

I am writing as a concerned Texan alarmed by recent reports that the State of Texas provided the complete list of registered voters — including sensitive personally identifying information such as dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers — to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) following a request from the current federal administration. If accurate, this action raises grave concerns about the privacy and legal protections of Texas voters, and it may implicate multiple provisions of federal and state law designed to safeguard voter registration data and protect against unlawful voter removal or misuse of sensitive personal information. Specifically: 1. Disclosure of Sensitive Voter Data: Federal and state privacy protections exist to limit dissemination of highly sensitive voter information. The provision of full voter rolls with identifying data — especially outside established legal processes — risks compromising privacy and could violate provisions of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) or state confidentiality laws. 2. Potential Violation of Election Law: A letter from the Democratic National Committee warned that the sharing and subsequent list maintenance processes outlined in the DOJ’s draft memorandum of understanding could violate the NVRA — particularly by compelling voter removal on a timeline inconsistent with federal requirements and prohibitions on systemic removals near elections. 3. Lack of Transparency and Public Accountability: It appears that the agreement under which these records were transferred has not been publicly released. Texans deserve transparency about what was exchanged, under what legal authority, and with what safeguards to protect voters’ rights. I therefore demand the following: 1. Immediate public disclosure of all records and agreements relating to the request for and transfer of Texas voter registration data to the federal government. 2. A clear explanation of the legal authority under which Texas provided the data, including any federal statutes or court orders relied upon. 3. A statement addressing whether any private information protected by state or federal law was shared beyond what is legally permissible. 4. A commitment to safeguard Texas voters’ data and prevent misuse, including legally binding limitations on how the DOJ may access or use this information. 5. Disclosure of what safeguards and oversight mechanisms are in place to prevent unlawful voter removals or other actions that could disenfranchise eligible voters. Texans expect our state leaders to protect the integrity of our elections and the privacy and rights of all registered voters. Providing this massive dataset with extremely sensitive personal information demands far more transparency and accountability than has been publicly available to date. I look forward to your prompt and thorough response.