Earlier this spring, Donald Trump created a commission on “election integrity,” ostensibly to review concerns about the manner in which elections are conducted. The real purpose, however, soon became apparent–to troll for “proof” that Trump only lost the popular vote due to massive voter fraud.
The commission’s vice chairman and operating head, Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach, asked state election officials for a massive trove of voter data–Social Security numbers, party affiliations, voting records, the lot. What he got instead was a bipartisan revolt. Eventually, 19 states and the District of Columbia refused to comply, while 26 others only agreed to send data that is publicly available–and in all of the latter cases, it fell well short of Kobach’s demands.
Well, apparently Kobach is a slow learner. He’s gone back to the states with a new request for voter data. At least two of them have already told Kobach where he can go with this latest request and how he can go there.
Earlier in July, the Electronic Privacy Information Center sued the commission to stop its bulk collection of data. However, on Monday, a federal court ruled that the commission was exempt from statutes governing federal agencies, but warned Kobach to be very careful in how he collects data.
Kobach wasted little time sending a renewed request for data. On Wednesday, California secretary of state Alex Padilla released a letter he’d received from Kobach in which he promised not to release “any personally identifiable information” about voters or groups of voters. Rather, he only promised to release “statistical conclusions” about the data.
Padilla had already hinted that Kobach had a hard sell to make in order to convince him to release any data about California voters.
Californians can rest assured: I still refuse to hand over ANY personal data of CA voters to Trump's Commission.https://t.co/Gd5y8KgnS8
— Alex Padilla (@AlexPadilla4CA) July 26, 2017
SOSs across the country and across the aisle agree – Kobach's request is outrageous. This court ruling doesn’t change that.
— Alex Padilla (@AlexPadilla4CA) July 26, 2017
Kobach can continue to request personal data of California voters, but I will continue to refuse.
— Alex Padilla (@AlexPadilla4CA) July 26, 2017
Within hours of receiving the latest request from Kobach, Padilla declared that Kobach hadn’t made it.
Once again, Trump's fraud Commission has requested the personal data of CA voters. And once again, my answer is no. https://t.co/v78j7ofzON
— Alex Padilla (@AlexPadilla4CA) July 27, 2017
If possible, Padilla was even more blunt in his formal reply to Kobach.
Secretary of State Alex Padilla responds to latest Trump Election Commission request for private CA voter data: pic.twitter.com/1hjf39GY7c
— CA SOS Vote (@CASOSvote) July 26, 2017
Just minutes later, Kobach got another very public and very loud “no” from another election official who refused to comply the first time–Kentucky secretary of state Alison Lundergan Grimes.
Renewed request, same motivation. That dog still won't hunt. On behalf of 3.3 million KYans, kick rocks, Kobach! https://t.co/DOB4I3ShBh
— Alison L. Grimes (@AlisonForKY) July 27, 2017
Ouch. Wonder if Kobach is still getting Grimes’ shoe print off his slacks.
Grimes was slightly more polite in her official reply.
Sec. Grimes just received a second request for voter information from @POTUS election commission. Her answer is still no. pic.twitter.com/1MzR35jDPC
— Alison L. Grimes (@KySecofState) July 27, 2017
Grimes is more than willing to improve Americans’ access to the ballot box. However, she believes that Kobach’s latest request crosses a bright line.
Padilla and Grimes have very good reason to be wary. Kobach was recently fined $1,000 for making misleading statements about a memo he took into a November meeting with Trump, as well as proposed changes to the motor voter law.
So at least two states who waved off Kobach’s first request still aren’t willing to budge. Hopefully those who refused to cooperate earlier will continue to do so. And we might have a brand new battle cry in the bargain as well. Hopefully in 2018, we will have a chance to tell Kobach’s friends in congress to kick rocks.
(featured image courtesy Democracy International, available under a Creative Commons BY-SA license)