Tester and Bullock Protect Montanans’ Right to Privacy, Fight Federal Overreach

Montana’s Elected Leaders Demand Trump Administration Rescind Request to Collect Personal Data

(Montana) – U.S. Senator Jon Tester and Governor Steve Bullock are protecting Montanans’ right to privacy and fighting federal government overreach from Washington, D.C.

Tester and Bullock are demanding the Trump Administration rescind its request to collect sensitive, private information about Montana voters. In a letter to Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach—the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the President’s so-called Advisory Commission on Election Integrity—Tester and Bullock raised a series of concerns about this unprecedented request and its threat to Montanans’ right to privacy.

“We are contacting you today with deep concerns regarding your broad request for sensitive information including individuals’ Social Security numbers and political party identifications,” Tester and Bullock wrote. “Frankly, Montanans do not take kindly to this type of federal government overreach. We respectfully ask that you rescind this request.”

The Commission asked election officials in all 50 states for the full names, addresses, birthdates, political party affiliations, last four digits of Social Security Numbers, voter history, military status, and other information from every American who is registered to vote.

Tester and Bullock are criticizing the Commission’s effort to force states to hand over private information saying any attempt to collect personal data “will threaten the privacy, freedom and voting rights of thousands of Montanans and millions of Americans.”

“These threats only raise greater privacy concerns for those whom we serve,” Tester and Bullock added. “We urge you to work in a way that neither threatens the privacy of the American people nor undermines the confidence in our elections.”

In addition to rescinding the request for Montanans’ private information, Tester and Bullock are demanding Pence and Kobach honor states’ rights and publicly clarify that states will not be forced to hand over sensitive information to the President’s Advisory Commission on Election Integrity or any other federal government entity.

Tester and Bullock’s letter to Pence and Kobach is available HERE.