Overreach: Warner right to stand against federal demand
Trending
West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner was right to stand firm against federal attempts to force him to produce unredacted statewide voter registration lists. U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston earlier this week denied the motion made by the U.S. Department of Justice AND granted a motion made by Warner's office to dismiss the DOJ's lawsuit against the state.
Johnston -- a George W. Bush appointee -- said there was no factual basis or legally valid purpose for the federal government's demands.
"The demand includes no indication that West Virginia is suspected to be noncompliant with the list maintenance requirements of HAVA or the NVRA, nor does it point to any anomalies in West Virginia's voter registration data," Johnston wrote.
Warner's office, and the county clerks across the state responsible for these records, do an excellent job maintaining secure elections while serving -- and protecting -- West Virginia voters.
"From the outset, my office has maintained that West Virginia law prohibits the disclosure of sensitive personal information contained in the statewide voter registration system absent legal authority requiring its release," Warner said. "Today's ruling confirms that our position was well-founded and consistent with both our statutory obligations and our responsibility to protect the personal information of West Virginia's registered voters."
Warner knows that, whatever the federal government's aims were in demanding unredacted records, disclosure of Mountain State residents' personal information would not only have been against state law, but would have been just plain wrong and a horrifying example of invasive federal overreach.
"As West Virginia's Chief Election Official, I remain committed to ensuring that our elections are conducted with integrity, transparency and full compliance with both state and federal law," Warner said. He and the county clerks have been able to do that VERY well, without federal meddling.
He stood firm. A federal judge agreed with him. That should be enough to put this matter to rest and keep federal noses out of West Virginia voters' personal information.