Kentuckians across the political spectrum believe in secure elections. We also believe in protecting our private information from unnecessary exposure and potential mishandling.

The U.S. Department of Justice is now suing the Commonwealth of Kentucky to force access to sensitive voter data, including the last four digits of Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers for more than 3.3 million people. State officials — including Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams — have said that Kentucky law protects this information and that handing it over without a court order could put voters at risk.

Once sensitive information leaves state control, the risk of misuse, breach, or unintended exposure increases. Kentuckians should not have to worry that participating in democracy could compromise their privacy or be used as a political weapon.

Kentucky’s elections have been described by state officials as a success story in voter roll maintenance and administration. If there are concerns about compliance with federal law, those concerns should be addressed through cooperation and narrowly tailored solutions — not sweeping demands for millions of residents’ personal information.

We urge Attorney General Pam Bondi and the U.S. Department of Justice to withdraw this lawsuit and work collaboratively with Kentucky election officials to ensure both election integrity and data privacy. Protecting our democratic process must go hand in hand with protecting the people who participate in it.