The Trump administration has launched a sweeping initiative to collect voter data and review election systems across multiple states, with federal officials reaching out to state governments and local clerks to gain access to voter rolls and inspect election equipment.
The Justice Department has formally requested full or partial copies of voter rolls from at least nine states—including Colorado, Florida, New York, and Wisconsin— and at least two have complied, according to state election officials.
In Colorado, a GOP consultant named Jeff Small, who identified himself as working on behalf of the Trump administration, contacted several Republican county clerks in an attempt to gain access to voting equipment for compliance reviews. Small, who previously served as chief of staff to Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), sent messages to clerks stating he was engaged in an “election integrity project” with the White House, and in at least one instance, claimed to be acting on behalf of Trump adviser Stephen Miller.
In El Paso County, Republican Clerk Steve Schleiker said Small told him he was coordinating with the Justice and Homeland Security departments. Shortly after their conversation, Schleiker received a call from a Homeland Security official seeking to test the county’s voting machines “to see if there’s any gaps.”
The Justice Department has already taken formal legal action in at least one case. Last month, it sued Orange County, California, demanding access to driver’s license numbers and signature images of voters removed from the rolls due to non-citizenship status, citing its legal mandate to ensure states maintain accurate voter registration records.
