SANTA FE, N.M. AP — A federal judge has ruled that New Mexico election officials and prosecutors discriminated against a Republican-supported group by denying them access to voter registration data.
On Friday, the judge ordered the state to stop blocking the Voter Reference Foundation from obtaining voter data. This ruling supports the group’s goal of expanding a free online database where people can search for voter registration information to identify potential issues or fraud.
The New Mexico Department of Justice plans to appeal the decision, according to spokesperson Lauren Rodriguez.
Recently, the VoteRef.com website re-added New Mexico voter information to its database. The site includes details like street addresses, party affiliations, and voting participation.
Election officials and privacy advocates in several states have expressed concerns about conservative groups gaining access to voter rolls. They fear that this could lead to voter intimidation or people canceling their registrations to avoid public exposure of their addresses and party affiliations.
However, U.S. District Court Judge James Browning in Albuquerque found that New Mexico election officials discriminated based on viewpoints and violated free speech rights by denying the Voter Reference Foundation access to voter data and involving state prosecutors.
The VoteRef.com database includes voter information from over 32 states and Washington, D.C. It is managed by Gina Swoboda, a prominent figure in the Arizona Republican Party and a key organizer in former President Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign in Arizona.
Previously, the judge ruled that New Mexico officials violated the National Voter Registration Act by refusing to provide voter data to the foundation, despite a state law limiting the use of such data.
The VoteRef.com site does not reveal how individuals voted. It protects confidentiality for victims of domestic violence or stalking and keeps addresses private for over 100 elected or appointed officials in New Mexico, following a series of drive-by shootings at lawmakers’ homes in late 2022 and early 2023.