Maine Secretary of State Denies DOJ Request for Voter Driver’s License Data
On Sept. 8, 2025, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows issued a statement rejecting a U.S. Department of Justice request for personally identifying information about every registered voter in the state. The federal government’s request, sent by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Aug. 18, 2025, sought a wealth of sensitive data. According to the Secretary’s office, the Department of Justice asked the state to hand over full driver’s license numbers, partial Social Security numbers and complete dates of birth for more than one million people【377549512123022†L292-L303】. Maine election officials said these details are held within the state’s central voter registration database, which is maintained under strict confidentiality and is not considered a public record under Maine law.
Bellows explained that the request was not only extraordinary but unnecessary. She noted that the U.S. Attorney’s office had not provided a valid reason for why it needed such comprehensive personal data on Maine residents. Maine’s central voter file contains the information necessary to administer elections, including whether a voter has a current driver’s license or state identification number. Releasing unredacted numbers could allow bad actors to match individuals’ names and addresses with license numbers and partial Social Security numbers. “I will not release Mainers’ personally identifying information to the federal government without a valid reason,” Bellows said, noting that the Department of Justice has failed to provide such a reason【377549512123022†L299-L304】. She pointed out that the federal government “does not have a good track record of keeping data secure” and warned that handing over the information would put nearly one million Mainers at risk【377549512123022†L299-L304】.
This is not the first time Maine has said no. The Secretary of State’s office declined a similar request earlier in 2025 and informed the U.S. Attorney’s office that Maine law prohibits the release of private voter data. The Department of Justice reissued the demand anyway. Bellows reiterated that Maine election officials work closely with federal law enforcement to preserve the integrity of elections and would cooperate on valid requests that do not violate state law. In her view, handing over driver’s license and partial Social Security numbers would violate both the spirit and the letter of Maine’s privacy protections.
Other states share Maine’s concerns. Officials in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire have likewise declined to furnish the Department of Justice with sensitive voter data【377549512123022†L306-L320】. By standing firm, these states are signalling that voter privacy should not be sacrificed without clear justification. For Maine residents, the refusal means their driver’s license information will remain securely stored with state authorities. Bellows said her office would continue working with the Department of Justice on legitimate election matters, but reiterated that Mainers’ data will not be turned over absent a compelling reason. Residents do not need to take any action; their voting eligibility and DMV services remain unchanged. The broader takeaway is that Maine’s top election official is prioritizing data security and public trust over compliance with a federal request that, in her view, lacks justification.