The Trump administration wants your voter data.

Since President Donald Trump took office in January, the Department of Justice has made an ambitious effort to collect sensitive voter data from all 50 states, including information that one election expert described as “the holy trinity” of identity theft: Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers and dates of birth.

In states where Trump’s party or allies control the levers of government, this information is handed over willingly. In states where they do not, the DOJ has formally asked, then threatened and then sued states that refuse. The department has also claimed many of these reluctant states are failing to properly maintain their voter registration rolls, and has pushed states to more aggressively remove potentially ineligible voters.

This week, Democrats in the House and Senate introduced new legislation that seeks to defang those efforts by raising the legal bar for states to purge voters based on several factors, such as inactivity or changing residency within the same state.

The Voter Purge Protection Act, introduced by Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, would amend the National Voter Registration Act to make it more difficult for states to kick large numbers of voters off their rolls for actions that Democrats — and many election officials — say are common, overwhelmingly benign and not indicative of voter fraud.

Padilla told reporters that the legislation would help ensure “that Americans cannot be stripped of their right to vote without proof that a voter has either passed away or has permanently moved out of their state.”

Voters targeted for removal must also be notified by election officials “so that there’s no surprise when they show up to vote on election day that their name is not on the list and it’s too late to address whatever the issue may or may not be,” Padilla said.

Beatty pointed to her home state, where Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose removed more than 155,000 voters from active voter rolls in 2024, as an example where federal protections are needed. The primary factor for purging those voters were records showing they had not cast a ballot in an election for the past four years.

She claimed more than half of the voters who stand to be affected by similar purges in 2025 and 2026 are registered in counties where demographic minorities make up a majority of voters.

“Let me be clear: voting is not use-it-or-lose the right, because too often these so-called voter purges have silenced voices, people of color, people of low income communities, and even our seniors who have waited and fought for the right to vote,” Beatty said.

Meanwhile, a comprehensive post-election audit conducted by LaRose’s office in 2024 identified and referred 597 “apparent noncitizens” on state voter rolls to the state Attorney General for further review, out of 8 million state voters. Critically, 459 of those registered voters never cast an actual ballot, and similar audits performed by LaRose in 2019, 2021 and 2022 found that such people made up similarly miniscule percentages of all active registered voters in the state. Last month, his office put out a press release touting an additional 78 “apparent noncitizens” registered, 69 of whom had no evidence of voting.

“States have the responsibility to keep accurate voter rolls and ensure election integrity,” LaRose added. “In order to meet that responsibility, we need more access to data from the federal government. I will continue to push until we have the resources we need to do our jobs to the standard Ohioans deserve.”

As any state election official will tell you, voter registration lists are never static — every day, people die, get married (or divorced), take on different names, become naturalized citizens or experience a range of other life events that can impact their registration status or result in outdated information. Further, it’s not typically viewed as unusual or a sign of fraud when voters sparingly make use of their registration to vote, though most election experts endorse some level of database maintenance to remove inactive voters.  

But it is often these discrepancies that get highlighted by Trump and state allies as evidence of unacceptably messy voter rolls that justify stricter removal policies.

And there are election officials — mostly in Republican-controlled states — who have embraced the philosophy that even small numbers of questionable registrations or voter fraud must be aggressively stamped out or it will lead to American voters losing faith in their democracy. LaRose and Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger have long championed a similar approach to voter maintenance, and have called for Congress to pass laws making it easier for states to remove voters during election years.

“List maintenance is about election security and voter confidence,” Raffensperger said last month while announcing that approximately 146,000 Georgia voters would be moved to inactive voter rolls, including 80,754 voters who had moved to another county within the state. “We want every Georgian to have full faith in the system, knowing that our elections are free, fair — and fast.”

Critics have pointed out that states already have numerous, effective means for preventing mass voter registration or fraud that have been borne out by post-election audits finding very low instances of fraud, and that overly harsh policies around list maintenance can and do end up disenfranchising far more eligible voters than bad actors. Further, they argue against removing large numbers of voters without a robust follow-up process from states to give affected voters an opportunity to appeal or address any discrepancies that may affect their registration.

The bill has 22 Democratic co-sponsors in the Senate and 24 in the House but is unlikely to gain serious consideration under a Republican-controlled Congress, where most GOP members have long believed voter fraud is rampant and are broadly supportive of state and federal efforts to remove voters based on those same factors.

Asked by CyberScoop how Democrats would navigate that reality, Padilla said the legislation was part of a broader overall effort to push back on these efforts at all levels of constitutional governance. That includes states fighting to protect their constitutional role as administrators of elections when denying data requests from the federal government, within the court system as states and voting rights groups fight in court to block the administration’s use of the SAVE database as a pretext for voter removal, and through public awareness and politics.

Teeing up legislation to prevent states from potentially disenfranchising voters from spurious purges, he said, is part of asserting Congress’ constitutional role in a much broader fight about the way elections are run.

“We’re pushing back on it at every turn and calling attention to it, so that voters understand what they may be facing and make all the necessary preparations so that their right to vote is not denied, whether it’s in next year’s midterm elections or even other regular or special elections before then,” Padilla said.

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As the 2024 U.S. presidential election takes place, cybersecurity analysts are on high alert, warning of voter database leaks. They are warning of an increasingly complex landscape that could jeopardize voter data security and election integrity due to voter database leaks. The face-off between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump has intensified the focus on ensuring that electoral systems remain secure and resilient against potential cyberattacks.

It is crucial to protect against breaches, leaks, and disinformation campaigns that could influence public trust and democratic outcomes. Drawing insights from Constella Intelligence, this analysis examines the specific risks and incidents shaping the current election season.

U.S. Voter Data Leaks: A Persistent Threat

The United States has become a major target for voter data leaks, experiencing significant breaches that expose a wide range of personal information. Moreover, voter data from these breaches is being actively traded on deep and dark web forums, posing an ongoing risk to voter privacy and security.

Constella Intelligence’s findings show that U.S. voter data leaks account for approximately 78% of all voter data circulating on the dark web, underscoring the nation’s unique vulnerabilities stemming from its decentralized electoral system and vast voter data infrastructure. In the U.S. alone, 23 states have suffered data breaches, impacting regions nationwide and exposing significant weaknesses in the protection of sensitive voter information.

Key examples include Florida, Texas, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Given that there are 50 states in the United States, this means that approximately 46% of states have been affected by voter data breaches, reflecting the widespread and systemic nature of these vulnerabilities.

Notable incidents since 2020 illustrate the scope of these breaches:

• Oklahoma: As shown in the previous image, a dark web forum post offered the 2024 Oklahoma voter list, including absentee voters, with instructions for accessing sensitive information for political purposes.
• Florida: Multiple significant leaks have affected Florida, including incidents in April 2020 and March 2022. These repeated exposures highlight the challenges in securing voter information in large states with complex voter registration systems and higher volumes of data, which increase their vulnerability to breaches.
• Wisconsin: A 2020 data leak compromised millions of voters, including such personal information as emails, names, phone numbers, and full addresses, showing how even isolated breaches can undermine public trust and voter security.
• Other States: States like Oklahoma, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Delaware, Texas, and Alaska have also reported leaks, some of which date back as far as 2013. These incidents highlight the systemic difficulties in securing voter data across state lines.

Of the 23 affected states, voter data breaches have impacted both Democratic and Republican strongholds, as well as crucial swing states, highlighting the widespread nature of the threat regardless of political affiliation or regional importance.

• Approximately 45% of Democratic-leaning states and 50% of Republican-leaning states have experienced data breaches.
• Key swing states (5%) such as Florida, Georgia, or Pennsylvania have also been impacted. Swing states are particularly important because they often decide the overall outcome of elections, making any breach in these regions potentially more impactful.

This broad geographic spread means that voters from both parties, along with undecided voters, could be affected, potentially impacting voter turnout and election trust.

Emerging Cyber Threats and Manipulation Risks in the 2024 Election

In addition to voter data leaks, other cybersecurity threats could impact the 2024 U.S. election, such as disinformation campaigns, targeted voter suppression, and foreign interference. Constella Intelligence has identified several notable cases:

• Campaign-Related Data Breaches (2024): A potential breach linked to Donald Trump’s campaign emails, allegedly involving foreign entities, exposed sensitive data. This underscores the risks posed by foreign influence operations.
• National Public Data Leak (2024): A 2024 incident exposed million records, including sensitive information of million U.S. voters, highlighting ongoing vulnerabilities in protecting voter data.

• RNC Leak (2017): This breach affected millions of voters, exposing personal details like birth dates and political affiliations. The data was used in predictive models, suggesting a risk of similar information being exploited to manipulate voter perceptions in the 2024 race.

These breaches illustrate the persistent risks of data misuse, identity theft, and election manipulation, each capable of eroding public trust in the democratic process.

Global Perspective: Voter Data Leaks Beyond the United States

Although U.S. voter data leaks are the most prevalent, other nations have also experienced significant breaches, especially during election cycles. Notable examples include:

• Mexico: High-profile breaches occurred in 2017 and 2021, including targeted attacks on political organizations like the Partido Acción Nacional (PAN).
• Israel: The 2020 elections saw a significant voter data breach, illustrating vulnerabilities even in nations with advanced cybersecurity frameworks.
• The Philippines and India: The Philippines experienced a leak in 2016, and India faced a breach in 2024, demonstrating that populous democracies remain attractive targets for cybercriminals.
• Other Nations: Countries like Iraq, Honduras, and Ukraine have also reported voter data breaches, underscoring the global nature of these threats.

Impact and Risks: Manipulating Election Outcomes Through Exposed Voter Databases

Beyond data leaks, the risks extend to manipulation tactics that leverage this exposed information. When voter databases are exposed, the personal and political information they contain can be weaponized to manipulate election outcomes in various ways:

1. Targeted Disinformation: Threat actors can use leaked data to send misleading messages, such as false voting locations or procedures, potentially causing voters to miss their opportunity to vote.
2. Voter Suppression Tactics: Leaked data allows cyber actors to discourage specific voters from participating by sending intimidating or misleading messages.
3. Identity Manipulation for Fraudulent Voting: Using personal details from leaked databases, malicious actors could impersonate registered voters to submit fraudulent ballots or alter voter rolls, causing confusion at polling stations.
4. Amplifying Polarization: By leveraging insights into voter preferences, cyber actors can create messages that heighten political divisions, influencing voters through emotional manipulation rather than factual discourse.

These tactics threaten not only individual privacy but also the integrity of the election process. When personal information is exposed, it can be used to manipulate voters, distort their perceptions, and ultimately undermine the fairness of the election. This direct impact on voter behavior erodes confidence in democratic institutions and the legitimacy of the results.

Threat Narratives: Misinformation and Disinformation Linked to Voter Data Leaks

Disinformation narratives pose significant threats because they can manipulate public perceptions and erode trust in democratic institutions. Constella Intelligence has identified several such narratives that could shape public opinion on the Dark Web:

• Electoral Fraud: We have uncovered several threads discussing how leaked voter data could be used to manipulate voter intentions. Some threat actors allege the presence of ‘fake election officials’ in Pennsylvania, the removal of mailboxes in Luzerne County, and reports of ‘a box full of ballots’ discovered in Dade County, Florida. Additionally, claims about the purging of ineligible voters in Oklahoma, including deceased individuals, coupled with a previous voter list leak in the state, raise concerns about potential manipulation of the electoral system. These posts reflect the growing polarization among citizens and contribute to speculation around voter manipulation. However, we have not conducted further investigation into these claims.

• Political Corruption: False narratives also target political figures, especially Kamala Harris and the Obamas. Harris is accused of plagiarism in her criminal justice book and collaborating with foreign countries to spy on Trump.

• Russian Disinformation Campaign: The U.S. intelligence community has reported that Russian actors could be actively spreading false information to undermine public confidence in the integrity of U.S. elections, especially in key swing states. This includes creating fake videos and articles suggesting election fraud, ballot stuffing, and cyber attacks in places like Arizona, targeting specific candidates such as Kamala Harris.

• Deep State: The idea of a ‘deep state’ aiming to control the country and silence opposition is frequently repeated. Steve Bannon, for example, is portrayed as a ‘political prisoner.’ Claims also suggest that this ‘deep state’ controls the media and censors information that could expose its actions.

• QAnon Conspiracy Theories: Some narratives align with QAnon conspiracy theories, such as mentions of ‘Agenda 47’ and references to Q. These theories, which speak of a satanic cabal controlling the world, are popular among some right-wing groups in the U.S. and often intersect with narratives about electoral fraud and political corruption.

These narratives significantly threaten democratic stability by promoting misinformation, eroding public trust, and influencing voter behavior. Data from voter databases could further be used to create targeted misinformation campaigns, aimed at voters who are already inclined to believe these narratives, thus deepening their impact on democratic processes.

Recommendations for Securing Voter Data and Upholding Electoral Integrity

In response to the rise in voter database breaches, Constella Intelligence recommends proactive measures for citizens to safeguard their data:

1. Understand Your Digital Footprint: Stay informed about the personal information that is publicly accessible, including voter data and details from breaches like the NPD leak. By being aware of what information is exposed, you can take steps to protect yourself from threat actors who may attempt to exploit this data, especially during sensitive periods like Election Day.

• Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Strengthen account security by using 2FA, which makes unauthorized access more difficult.

• Be Mindful of Social Media Posts: Exercise caution with what you share or read on social media, as AI tools now make it easier than ever to create convincing fake content. Threat actors can exploit personal information or posts to manipulate narratives, spread disinformation, or target individuals during critical times like Election Day.

• Be Cautious of Phishing Attempts: On Election Day, be especially wary of unsolicited messages claiming to provide election updates or voter information. Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments, as scammers frequently use these tactics to steal personal data or spread disinformation during critical events like elections.

Stay vigilant against potential threats, from voter data breaches to disinformation, and take steps to protect your personal information. As you head to the polls, remember the importance of safeguarding our democratic process. Enjoy your Election Day, and best wishes to you all, America!