LOUISVILLE, Ky.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jefferson County Clerk David Yates announced today that his office has filed a motion to intervene in the U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuit seeking the release of Kentucky’s unredacted voter registration list, which contains sensitive personal information for every registered voter.
The federal lawsuit, filed against the Kentucky Secretary of State and the State Board of Elections, aims to compel the release of voter data that includes protected identifiers such as Social Security and driver’s license numbers—information Kentucky declined to provide under state law.
Yates is the first county clerk to take legal action to stop the transfer of unredacted voter records to the DOJ. He said he is intervening to protect both the privacy rights of Jefferson County voters and his office’s legal obligations.
“As the chief election official for Jefferson County, I have a statutory duty to protect the confidential personal information entrusted to us by our voters,” Yates said. “This lawsuit directly affects my office’s responsibilities, and I believe it is essential that the voices and privacy rights of Jefferson County citizens are strongly defended.”
The motion, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, is being brought in partnership with the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office.
“We conferred with our client and immediately started working when our team saw the Department of Justice’s lawsuit against Kentucky,” said Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell.
“This federal overstep directly impacts the Clerk’s constitutional and statutory duties, his authority, and his legal obligations to oversee the confidential voter information of Kentucky’s largest county. My office is proud to represent Clerk Yates and the voters of Jefferson County as we seek to join this matter.”
Under Kentucky law, county clerks serve as primary custodians of voter registration records, responsible for processing registrations, maintaining voter lists, updating records, and safeguarding sensitive data.
“Donald Trump has no legal reason to demand sensitive and personal information about the voters of Jefferson County,” said Sarah Martin, Second Assistant Jefferson County Attorney and head of the office’s Civil Division. “This is an overreach by Donald Trump and an affront to our democracy. The Jefferson County Attorney’s Office and Clerk Yates will protect the integrity of our local elections and prevent the misuse of voter data by the Trump administration.”
Yates said releasing unredacted voter information could create confusion or fear among voters and undermine trust in elections.
“People need to feel confident that when they register to vote, their personal information will remain secure,” Yates said. “If their most sensitive data is handed over unnecessarily, it could discourage participation and damage confidence in our democratic system.”
“The Constitution deliberately gives states and local governments control over elections to prevent federal overreach by any president or administration. I will not stand by while President Donald Trump and the Department of Justice try to bully local officials into surrendering that authority,” Yates said. “When the people of Louisville are attacked, we fight back, because protecting local control is how we protect democracy!”
The motion argues that releasing unredacted voter data would force Yates’ office to violate state privacy laws and its duties as custodian of Jefferson County’s voter records.
Clerk Yates said, “Given President Trump’s record of attacking election officials and voters, his Department of Justice demanding protected centralized voter data raises legitimate concerns that it will be used to target lawful voters and purge communities for political advantage.”
For more information on elections and voting, call (502) 574-6100, or connect online by visiting the Jefferson County Clerk’s election website at elections.JeffersonCountyClerk.org and on Facebook at facebook.com/JCCOKY
Contacts
Ashley Tinius
Communications, Media, & Public Relations Director
Jefferson County Clerk’s Office
Media calls/texts: (502) 648-0525
[email protected]
