Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale says he is willing to comply with President Trump's request for voter information if certain guidelines are met.
Gale issued a statement Thursday saying he wants more details before deciding to release the data. The request comes from the Presidential Commission on Election Integrity, a request largely rebuked by the states.
"Nebraska law provides that the voter registration register is a public record and may be released for certain purposes related to elections, political activities, voter registration, law enforcement, and jury selection. It may not be used for commercial purposes. Other state laws allow for sensitive information, such as social security numbers to be withheld from the public."
Gale also said "at this time the Presidential Commission on Election Integrity has not yet met to specify in detail its reasons for requesting voter registration information and whether those reasons comply with Nebraska law. The letter from the commission to my office indicated that information submitted to the commission would be made available to the public. If made available to the public, it may be subject to uses that run counter to Nebraska’s laws with respect to the voter registration register. I also have a concern about data privacy."
" I have no clear assurances about the security that this national database will receive. In light of the domestic and foreign attacks in 2016 on state voter registration databases, the commission will need to assure my office of a high level of security. With assurance that this request meets compliance with Nebraska law and that these additional concerns are addressed, I will comply with the commission’s request for publically available information."
Six state senators wrote a letter to Gale urging him to decline to turn over personal data about registered Nebraska voters.
Nebraska needs to "protect the integrity of our elections and the security of our lawfully registered citizens," they wrote. They also expressed that public access to identifying information and partial Social Security numbers can lead to identity theft.