ALVIN A, JAEGER SECRETARY OF STATE PHONE ran azm-2aco AK (701) 2282002 HOME PAGE wenn govtos EMAL sos@oxigev ‘=. eA SECRETARY OF STATE 500 EAST GOULEVARD AVENUE DEPT 108 'ISMAREK ND 68808:0800, To: The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity From: Alvin A. Jaeger, North Dakota Secretary of State // Avy aa Date: September 5, 2017 7 Re: North Dakota ~ response to voter data request In your letters dated June 28, 2017 and July 26, 2017, you requested certain voter information be supplied to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity The state of North Dakota is unable to provide the requested information for two reasons: (1) North Dakota does not register voters for voting purposes; and (2) state law does not allow the information maintained in the Central Voter File to be shared except with certain individuals and groups and for a specific limited purpose, Information in the Central Voter File is only available to candidates, political parties, and political committees, as defined in N.0.C.C. § 16.1-02-15, and may only be used for election-related purposes. The Commission does not qualify as an eligible recipient. In addition, the state's, Central Voter File is a record of individuals who have voted in prior elections and is not a list of those eligible to vote in a future election. Also, it does not maintain @ voter's political party designation or sociat security number. Concemed citizens have contacted this office asking us to not provide tax information or information regarding which votes were cast by each citizen. This office has assured these individuals that the Centrat Voter File does not contain tax information, social security numbers, or a record of which vote was cast by which voter since voting is conducted by secret ballot, which ‘would make it information that could not be provided by this office. Although North Dakota is unable to provide the requested voter data, | encourage the Commission to publicly state how it wil analyze the data it does receive and how it will arrive at its findings and recommendations. Wil the Commission be utilizing a program similar to those that a number of slates already use to compare voter data, such as the Kansas Crosscheck or the Electronic Registration Information Center system, to conduct its review of the data provided by other states? If metches are found in the data, whet, if anything, will be done with the information discovered? The integrity of the election process is essential and it is my sincere hope that the Commission will abide by its stated goal of improving the voting process.