Multistate voter database suspended in lawsuit settlement
Source: AP
A much-criticized database that checks whether voters are registered in multiple states has been suspended “for the foreseeable future” until security safeguards are put in place as part of a settlement of a federal lawsuit, a civil rights group said Tuesday.
The Interstate Crosscheck program was the subject a class-action lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas on behalf of 945 voters whose partial Social Security numbers were exposed by Florida officials through an open records request.
Kansas has operated the multistate program since 2005, although the program hasn’t been used since 2017 when a Homeland Security audit discovered security vulnerabilities.
The settlement includes a list of safeguards the state has agreed to implement to protect voter’s personal information before the program can resume, the ACLU said in a news release.
Kansas has agreed not to resume operating Crosscheck until all security upgrades recommended by the Department of Homeland Security have been implemented and industry standard encryption practices are adopted. It also requires participating states to agree to a penalty of expulsion from the program for any negligent, reckless or intentional disclosure of information.
The ACLU said that the settlement also includes an “acknowledgement of error” statement from Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab’s office: “The Kansas Secretary of State’s Office acknowledges your personal information was improperly disclosed through the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program. We recognize this led to an error in the use and handling of your information. Our office has adopted policies and procedures to ensure your voter information will be protected in the future.”
Read more: https://apnews.com/2c82eb782e578bbb81c121ec453fbee8
This Kobach's pet project
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