A federal judge in New Mexico has determined that state election regulators and prosecutors showed discrimination towards a Republican-supported organization by denying them access to voter registration lists. The ruling prohibits the state from withholding voter data from the Voter Reference Foundation, enhancing the group’s mission to broaden a database of registered voters for the public to identify potential irregularities or fraud.
New Mexico Department of Justice spokesperson Lauren Rodriguez mentioned that the state intends to challenge the decision. Recently, the VoteRef.com website reintegrated New Mexico details into its searchable database of registered voters, containing information such as addresses, party affiliations, and voting history. Concerns have been raised by election officials in various states and privacy advocates regarding conservative groups’ efforts to acquire state voter rolls, fearing potential misuse of the information leading to voter intimidation or disenfranchisement.
U.S. District Court Judge James Browning, based in Albuquerque, ruled that New Mexico election regulators had engaged in discrimination based on viewpoints and violated freedom of speech by denying the Voter Reference Foundation access to voter data and involving state prosecutors in the matter. The Voter Reference Foundation’s VoteRef.com database covers voter details from over 32 states and the District of Columbia, managed by Gina Swoboda, chair of the Arizona Republican Party and organizer of Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign in Arizona.
Judge Browning had previously determined that New Mexico authorities breached public disclosure rules of the National Voter Registration Act by withholding voter rolls from the foundation, surpassing a state law that limits the use of voter registration information. The VoteRef.com platform does not disclose individuals’ voting choices and maintains confidentiality under measures protecting victims of domestic violence or stalking.
Moreover, addresses of over 100 publicly elected or appointed officials in New Mexico, from both political parties, are confidential under a safety initiative established following drive-by shootings at the residences of local lawmakers in Albuquerque during December 2022 and January 2023.
