Bellows Blocks DOJ Voter Data as League of Women Voters Cries ‘Data Grab’ — Despite Recent Scandals

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is again under fire as the League of Women Voters of Maine steps in to back her refusal to turn over voter registration data to the federal government — even as Bellows has acknowledged that non-Mainers have been registered to vote and the state faces an unfolding Bureau of Motor Vehicles scandal involving alleged cheating on licensing exams.

The League, which has existed for more than a century and brands itself as a defender of election integrity, joined a lawsuit this month supporting Bellows and the State of Maine against the U.S. Department of Justice, which is seeking access to state voter files under federal election law.

League officials framed the DOJ’s request as an unprecedented intrusion into state-run elections. Jen Lancaster, communications director for the League’s Maine office, said the federal effort amounted to what she described as a “data grab,” raising alarms about voter privacy and cybersecurity.

Lancaster argued that the DOJ’s request could include access to sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers and driver’s license data, contending that Maine has the right to manage its own elections without federal oversight.

“There’s a very good reason why we don’t have a centralized voter database at the federal level,” Lancaster said, pointing to cybersecurity risks and Maine’s authority to administer elections independently.

The League also raised concerns that federal officials could use the data to remove individuals believed to be non-citizens from voter rolls, insisting that non-citizen voting is already illegal and not happening in Maine.

That claim comes as Bellows herself has acknowledged that individuals who are not Maine residents have appeared on the state’s voter rolls, an admission that has fueled criticism from election integrity advocates.

The lawsuit also unfolds amid a separate state controversy at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, where interpreters have been accused of helping immigrants improperly pass driver’s license tests, raising fresh questions about oversight and safeguards within state systems.

The DOJ has sued 18 states for failing to provide complete voter registration data, saying it is enforcing the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act. In a December statement, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said states have a legal duty to protect voters from dilution and maintain accurate rolls.

“If states will not fulfill their duty to protect the integrity of the ballot, we will,” Dhillon said.

Maine and Bellows moved to dismiss the case on December 12, arguing that the DOJ’s request improperly seeks information on party affiliation and voting participation without clearly explaining how the data would be stored or used.

The League echoed that argument, saying data privacy has been part of its mission since its founding in 1920 and is even more critical amid growing cybersecurity threats and advances in artificial intelligence.

The case remains pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, where it is likely to become a flashpoint in the broader debate over election oversight, voter roll accuracy, and who ultimately controls Maine’s elections – currently administered by a candidate for governor next November.