A judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from accessing the sensitive information of millions of South Carolina voters.
Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein issued a temporary restraining order Tuesday, stemming from a lawsuit challenging whether the South Carolina Election Commission can give voters’ data to the Department of Justice.
The DOJ earlier this year requested that the state hand over the data of more than 3.3 million registered voters in the state. The data included their names, addresses, birthdates, driver’s license numbers, and last four digits of their Social Security numbers. Other states saw similar requests.
Anne Crook, a South Carolina voter, sued the SCEC last week, arguing that disclosing her personal information would violate her right to privacy under the state’s constitution.
“I think most people have some questions about why the federal government wants their data,” Crook’s attorney, state Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto (D), wrote in the court filing.
Goodstein wrote in the restraining order, “There is a likelihood that immediate and irreparable damage will result to Plaintiff if her personal information data is released in violation of her right to privacy.”
The SCEC had not yet handed over the data following a back-and-forth with the DOJ over what is legally permissible and deadlines. The DOJ originally gave the state an Aug. 21 deadline to comply, but most recently extended the deadline to Sept. 5.
Following the judge’s order, SCEC spokesman John Michael Catalano said in a statement that the agency “will continue to coordinate with the DOJ to explore lawful options for data sharing while adhering to the court’s order.”
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The request from the Trump administration has been met with alarm from civic groups, which have noted it could erode public trust and risk voter privacy.
The temporary restraining order will block the release of data until a hearing is held on Sept. 10. Several states have denied the Trump administration’s request for data, also citing privacy concerns.