Voting rights organizations and a Massachusetts voter have moved to intervene in a federal case to prevent the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) from obtaining personal data of Massachusetts voters. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Massachusetts and the ACLU National Voting Rights Project filed the motion on behalf of Common Cause, Jane Doe Inc., and an individual voter in United States of America v. Galvin.
The DOJ requested that Massachusetts provide information including voters’ full names, dates of birth, addresses, driver’s license numbers, and partial Social Security numbers. Secretary of State William F. Galvin declined this request, citing protections under state and federal law.
In their filing, advocates argue that releasing such sensitive data could threaten voter privacy and lead to potential disenfranchisement. Juan Pablo Jaramillo, a naturalized U.S. citizen represented in the case, expressed concern about being at increased risk for disenfranchisement—a concern shared by many other voters in the state.
Geoff Foster, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts—which is a nonpartisan advocacy group working to strengthen democracy at state and local levels across every congressional district in Massachusetts as part of a national effort official website—said: “Unelected bureaucrats in Washington have no business accessing Bay Staters’ sensitive personal information. Handing this data over to the federal government violates the law and would put voters’ private information in the hands of dangerous election conspiracy peddlers. Common Cause Massachusetts is fighting to protect the rights of our 29,000 plus members and all Bay State voters and to prevent the misuse of their data.”
Maryam Jazini Dorcheh, Senior Director of Litigation at Common Cause, stated: “Voters in Massachusetts and across the country deserve to know their personal information is secure and used only for its intended purpose of maintaining accurate records. We are committed to defending voters’ rights and privacy in Massachusetts and nationwide, and this case is one of many where we are stepping in to ensure those protections are upheld.”
Jessie Rossman, legal director for ACLU Massachusetts said: “We are representing Common Cause, Jane Doe Inc., and Mr. Jaramillo as proposed intervenors in this matter to help stop an alarming and unlawful overreach by the federal government. The DOJ has no legitimate purpose to collect unredacted, sensitive and private information on millions of voters across Massachusetts. The Trump administration’s attempts to compel production of this data threatens to chill the exercise of the fundamental right to vote, which is a preservative of all other rights in this country. We will fight such abuses every step of the way.”
Ari Savitzky from ACLU’s Voting Rights Project added: “Federal overreach of this kind threatens voters’ privacy and their fundamental right to participate in our democracy. The Department of Justice is using the civil rights statutes as pretext to try to hoover up private voter data and use it for improper ends. Voters’ rights are at stake and their voices must be heard.”
Hema Sarang-Sieminski from Jane Doe Inc., which works with coalition partners on policies supporting survivors of sexual or domestic violence, commented: “At JDI, we know that privacy is foundational for survivor safety. Demands that threaten privacy protections for Massachusetts voters place survivors and other vulnerable communities at real and immediate risk. These safeguards are not optional — they are fundamental to survivor safety, public trust, and meaningful civic engagement. We are proud to join our state partners in resisting these dangerous and chilling demands.”
Common Cause has previously engaged nationally on similar issues by filing lawsuits or joining motions opposing DOJ efforts seeking states’ voter data.
Common Cause Massachusetts has advanced reforms like expanded voting access through coalition partnerships official website, fostered grassroots engagement statewide official website, promoted pro-democracy reforms official website, partnered with groups such as Election Modernization Coalition official website, advocated for fair representation measures official website, achieved passage expanding voting access via legislation like VOTES Act official website, operated since 1970 as part of broader democracy reform efforts official website, functioned as both state chapter within national Common Cause network official website—and currently counts more than 20,000 members supporting its initiatives statewide official website.
