(DailyEmailNews.com) – A federal judge has decided that New Mexico’s election authorities unfairly discriminated against a Republican-supported organization by not providing them with important voter registration data.
The organization Voter Reference Foundation aims to build a free database where anyone can search for potential voting issues or fraud.
They had their access to New Mexico voter information restored, which includes details like addresses, party affiliations, and voting activity in recent elections.
However, this move has sparked concern. Many state officials and privacy advocates worry that such data could be misused.
They argue that the data could potentially lead to voter harassment or even deregistration to keep personal details private.
Despite these concerns, Judge James Browning of the U.S. District Court in Albuquerque ruled that the state’s actions against the Voter Reference Foundation were based on their viewpoint, thus violating free speech rights.
He pointed out that denying them the data and referring the matter to state prosecutors was discriminatory.
The foundation’s database, VoteRef.com, now holds voter information from over 32 states plus the District of Columbia.
It is managed by Gina Swoboda, a key figure in the Arizona Republican Party and a former campaign organizer for GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump back in 2020.
Earlier, Judge Browning had also decided that New Mexico officials broke national voter registration laws by not handing over the voter rolls to the foundation.
He then overruled a state law that limits how voter registration data is used.
The website ensures it does not reveal who people voted for and keeps the addresses of domestic violence or stalking victims confidential.
It also protects the addresses of over 100 public figures in New Mexico, covering both Democrats and Republicans.
These 100 individuals are under a safety program following targeted drive-by shootings at local lawmakers’ homes in late 2022 and early 2023.
Copyright 2024, DailyEmailNews.com
