Oregon’s Secretary of State Accuses Federal Agencies of Misleading Officials Over Voter Data Use

Oregon Secretary of State, Tobias Read, is concerned that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) are using confidential voters’ roll information ‘to keep tearing families and communities apart’.

Read Has Joined Nine Other States Demanding an Explanation by December 1

Together with nine other Secretaries of State, Read has sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, demanding disclosure of how they are using confidential voters’ roll information.

In the letter, the signatories seek clarity on whether the two departments ‘actively misled election officials regarding the use of voter data.’

Information sought included dates of birth, state driver’s license numbers, and the last four digits of Social Security numbers. ‘Given the unprecedented nature and scope of the DOJ’s requests, we require additional information about how this information will be used, shared, and secured.’

Signatories Claim the DOJ and DHS Shared Misleading and Contradictory Information

The signatories write that during two recent meetings arranged by the National Association of Secretaries of State, senior officials from the DOJ and DHS ‘shared misleading and at times contradictory information.’

The letter states that on August 28, 2025, DOJ’s Michael Gates led Secretaries of State and senior staff to believe that the department intended to use voter information to assess compliance with the voter list maintenance provisions of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

The signatories have requested answers to their communication by December 1, 2025.

The DOJ filed a lawsuit against Oregon and Secretary of State Tobias Read on September 16 after Read refused their request to provide confidential voter roll information.