Nevada Secretary of State Responds to DOJ Lawsuit, Cites Concerns Over Security of Private Data in Voter Rolls

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit last Thursday against Nevada Secretary of State Francisco “Cisco” Aguilar in federal court accusing the swing state of violating two cornerstone election laws, the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and Help America Vote Act (HAVA), by refusing to provide unredacted voter registration records for federal review.

The complaint alleges Aguilar has failed to provide the DOJ’s requests for all identification fields found in voter registration records–that could result in the removal of ineligible registrations (deceased voters, non-residents, duplicates).

On late Friday, Secretary of State Aguilar released a statement, stressing concern over the security of “private voter data” and compliance with state law.

The Department of Justice is making sweeping demands of states to hand over private voter data. Despite our simple requests for information on how they’re going to keep this data secure, they’ve given us no clear answers. It’s my duty to follow Nevada law and protect the best interests of Nevadans, which includes protecting their sensitive information and access to the ballot.

While these requests may seem like normal oversight, the federal government is using its power to try to intimidate states and influence how states administer elections ahead of the 2026 cycle. The Constitution makes it clear: elections are run by the states. Nevada will continue to run safe, secure and accessible elections and I’ll always stand up for the rights of our voters.

The Secretary of State’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office are working together to evaluate this litigation from the federal government. The state remains focused on protecting the security of voter’s private data and staying compliant with Nevada law as we prepare for the 2026 election cycle.”

In the DOJ’s complaint, the department offers a secure portal for data upload. Considering the federal government has all of the personal data found in voter rolls, such as a partial social security number, birthdate, and a driver’s license number, coupled with the supremacy of federal law, Aguilar’s concerns are questionable.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah weighed in on social media, stating in part, “Far too long Nevada’s elections have been mired with opaqueness and controversy:”

A personal invite by @TheJusticeDept and @AAGDhillon to join @USAO_NV ensuring election transparency in Nevada. Far too long Nevada’s elections have been mired with opaqueness and controversy. Today @AAGDhillon and I end that once and for all. ⚖️ https://t.co/1wB6jMEFHz

— Sigal Chattah (@Chattah4Nevada) December 12, 2025

Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV), who won reelection by less than one percentage point in 2022, claimed that “noncitizens cannot and do not vote in Nevada.” Yet, how can Cortez-Masto say that with absolute certainty if the state will not provide the data to substantiate her statement?

Noncitizens cannot and do note vote in Nevada.

The Dept. of Justice knows our elections are safe and secure. This is all about placating the President’s conspiracy theories because he refuses to accept Nevada voters’ decision in the 2020 election. https://t.co/fPOsuzSO98

— Senator Cortez Masto (@SenCortezMasto) December 14, 2025

Earlier this month, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division filed federal lawsuits against six Democrat-led states — Delaware, Maryland, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington — for failure to produce their statewide voter registration lists upon request.

Nevada, Hawaii, Colorado, and Massachusetts lawsuits followed, bringing the total lawsuits stemming from withholding voter rolls from the DOJ to 18.

“Accurate voter rolls are the cornerstone of fair and free elections, and too many states have fallen into a pattern of noncompliance with basic voter roll maintenance,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice will continue filing proactive election integrity litigation until states comply with basic election safeguards.”

“Our federal elections laws ensure every American citizen may vote freely and fairly,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “States that continue to defy federal voting laws interfere with our mission of ensuring that Americans have accurate voter lists as they go to the polls, that every vote counts equally, and that all voters have confidence in election results. At this Department of Justice, we will not stand for this open defiance of federal civil rights laws.”