Mayor Barrett Disagrees with Public Release of Confidential Voter Data
Milwaukee Election Commission receiving calls on release of confidential voter data
MILWAUKEE – Mayor Tom Barrett and the City of Milwaukee Election Commission raised concerns with the Federal Election Integrity Commission’s request to all states, including Wisconsin, for voter registration data. The request was made for all publicly available voter registration data, including highly-sensitive information about voters’ political affiliation, Social Security numbers, criminal history and military status.
Mayor Barrett strongly disagrees with the release of any confidential information maintained in the State’s voter registration database. The Mayor is also concerned with how the public is perceiving and responding to the Election Integrity Commission’s request.
“Not only am I concerned with what types of information could be released, I am equally concerned with how the public is perceiving this request and how their perceptions may impact their continued participation in voting,” Mayor Barrett said. “With residents already requesting to inactivate their voter registration records, we must assure them that we are protecting their privacy and the integrity of our voter information system.”
Many of the callers have been satisfied with the information and assurances that Milwaukee Election Commission staff have been able to provide, while others have requested that the Commission inactivate their voter registration records.
The City of Milwaukee, like most other Wisconsin municipalities, is a user of Wisconsin’s statewide voter registration database.
“The decision regarding the release of data will be made by the state and we have been in regular contact with the Wisconsin Election Commission (WEC) regarding the status of the request,” said Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Neil Albrecht. “This office fully supports transparency in elections, but we will adamantly oppose the release of confidential voter registration data.”
The WEC has stated that the agency is prohibited by state law from releasing a voter’s date of birth, drivers’ license number, Social Security Number or other confidential information. The names, addresses and voting histories (which elections, but not candidate votes) are considered public information and may be purchased through the WEC.
Residents who wish to voice their concerns can contact the Milwaukee Election Commission at (414) 286-3491.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by Mayor Tom Barrett
“The request was made for all publicly available voter registration data,”
“Mayor Barrett strongly disagrees with the release of any confidential information”
OK… so whats the problem?
AG let’s see what Republicans opposing the Kobach Commission’s request for all publicly available voter registration data have to say since so many Republicans oppose the request (44 states have said they won’t share the data, so that’s as bipartisan as it gets these days; makes you wonder): http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/03/politics/kris-kobach-letter-voter-fraud-commission-information/index.html
Vincent, what does that have to do with my question?
My question was… Barrett opposes releasing confidential info, the panel is asking for public info, what is the issue?
Time and resources? Why can’t the panel just find the data itself if it’s publicly available? Doesn’t the panel have more time and resources for that work?
No where in his statement does Barrett say time and resources. He only states he opposes the release of confidential info and fears that giving the information would support the perception that there is fraud.
Well write him a strongly worded letter then. Or send him an email. I’m sure he appreciates hearing from concerned constituents.
Had Obama asked Barrett for that information…it would have been served to him on a silver platter!
Why have so many Republican elected officials refused Kobach’s request all caps Judy?
AG,
The mayor said nothing about fearing perception of fraud. His fear was that this bogus pretense re voter fraud would serve the purpose of the perpetrators of it by suppressing the votes of people who fear what authoritarian representatives of government would do with that info.
JUDY,
Obama did not ask for that info. The silver platter figure of speech emphasizes the absurdity of the hypothetical remark in post # 7. There are likely more silver platters in storage in Trump towers than there are in the possession of all the Obamas on Earth.