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A Secretaries of State Meeting Used to Be Friendly. Then the White House Asked for Voter Data. A Secretaries of State Meeting Used to Be Friendly. Then the White House Asked for Voter Data.
(about 2 hours later)
INDIANAPOLIS — In the partisan battlefield of elective office, the National Association of Secretaries of State has always been a DMZ of sorts, an alliance of obscure officials who would rather talk charity regulations than politics, a conclave so committed to comity that it alternates its chair between Democrats (“a nonpartisan organization,” said Denise Miller, the outgoing president) and Republicans (“we stand together,” said Connie Lawson, the incoming one).INDIANAPOLIS — In the partisan battlefield of elective office, the National Association of Secretaries of State has always been a DMZ of sorts, an alliance of obscure officials who would rather talk charity regulations than politics, a conclave so committed to comity that it alternates its chair between Democrats (“a nonpartisan organization,” said Denise Miller, the outgoing president) and Republicans (“we stand together,” said Connie Lawson, the incoming one).
But as the group held its semiannual meeting here this weekend, a whiff of gunpowder wafted through the air.But as the group held its semiannual meeting here this weekend, a whiff of gunpowder wafted through the air.
The secretaries had the bad timing to gather the week after the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity asked them for reams of data on the nation’s 200 million registered voters, a request that might as well have been a political call to arms. News reports from Florida and Colorado stated that voters were asking to be removed from the rolls, fearing that their personal data would wind up in the wrong hands.The secretaries had the bad timing to gather the week after the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity asked them for reams of data on the nation’s 200 million registered voters, a request that might as well have been a political call to arms. News reports from Florida and Colorado stated that voters were asking to be removed from the rolls, fearing that their personal data would wind up in the wrong hands.
Democratic secretaries have largely denounced the request as a Republican plot to conjure evidence of voter fraud out of thin air, in order to bolster President Trump’s claim that three million or more illegal votes cost him a popular-vote victory in November’s election.Democratic secretaries have largely denounced the request as a Republican plot to conjure evidence of voter fraud out of thin air, in order to bolster President Trump’s claim that three million or more illegal votes cost him a popular-vote victory in November’s election.
“I can’t in good conscience legitimize this commission, which seems to have arrived at their conclusions even before they got started,” said Alex Padilla, the secretary of state of California and a Democrat. He refused to cooperate with the request.“I can’t in good conscience legitimize this commission, which seems to have arrived at their conclusions even before they got started,” said Alex Padilla, the secretary of state of California and a Democrat. He refused to cooperate with the request.
Adding to their rancor was the fact that the request came from one of their own: the vice chairman and de facto leader of the commission, Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state. Mr. Kobach, a Republican and a bête noire to Democrats, insists that illegal voting, especially by undocumented immigrants, is unchecked and mostly undetected. He has called Mr. Trump’s claim plausible.Adding to their rancor was the fact that the request came from one of their own: the vice chairman and de facto leader of the commission, Kris Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state. Mr. Kobach, a Republican and a bête noire to Democrats, insists that illegal voting, especially by undocumented immigrants, is unchecked and mostly undetected. He has called Mr. Trump’s claim plausible.
Republicans scrambled to distance themselves from the letter’s call for private data like birthdates and partial Social Security numbers without impugning their president’s claim or his commission. But giving the claim credibility placed them in the awkward position of saying either that other secretaries had overlooked millions of illegal votes, or that they had found them and lied about it.Republicans scrambled to distance themselves from the letter’s call for private data like birthdates and partial Social Security numbers without impugning their president’s claim or his commission. But giving the claim credibility placed them in the awkward position of saying either that other secretaries had overlooked millions of illegal votes, or that they had found them and lied about it.
Asked at a news conference on Friday whether Mr. Trump’s assertion of millions of illegal votes was credible, one of the Democratic secretaries of state on the White House panel, Matthew Dunlap of Maine, said that he “would be stunned to see a number anywhere near that.” He noted that he had failed to find a single verifiable case of fraud in his 11 years on the job.Asked at a news conference on Friday whether Mr. Trump’s assertion of millions of illegal votes was credible, one of the Democratic secretaries of state on the White House panel, Matthew Dunlap of Maine, said that he “would be stunned to see a number anywhere near that.” He noted that he had failed to find a single verifiable case of fraud in his 11 years on the job.
Ms. Lawson, the Indiana secretary of state and a Republican on the commission, gave a more contorted response. “They know they can’t get by with it in Indiana,” she said, but “I can’t speak to what happens in other states.” Asked whether she personally believed Mr. Trump’s claim, she repeated her answer.Ms. Lawson, the Indiana secretary of state and a Republican on the commission, gave a more contorted response. “They know they can’t get by with it in Indiana,” she said, but “I can’t speak to what happens in other states.” Asked whether she personally believed Mr. Trump’s claim, she repeated her answer.
To be sure, the meeting remains a somewhat green-eyeshade affair, and there is no shortage of agreement on certain matters; after belated revelations that Russian hackers breached at least one state’s election computers, the secretaries were united in calling for the federal government to tell them when their data is at risk.To be sure, the meeting remains a somewhat green-eyeshade affair, and there is no shortage of agreement on certain matters; after belated revelations that Russian hackers breached at least one state’s election computers, the secretaries were united in calling for the federal government to tell them when their data is at risk.
Yet partisanship has become increasingly hard to avoid, some say, as the parties themselves have concluded that one key to winning elections is to control who sets the rules for them. As with other state offices, Republicans have come to dominate the secretaries of state ranks, picking up three more states in 2016 after a well-financed campaign by a party arm devoted to state races. They now hold 29 of the 47 elective positions.Yet partisanship has become increasingly hard to avoid, some say, as the parties themselves have concluded that one key to winning elections is to control who sets the rules for them. As with other state offices, Republicans have come to dominate the secretaries of state ranks, picking up three more states in 2016 after a well-financed campaign by a party arm devoted to state races. They now hold 29 of the 47 elective positions.
Some Democrats say the tenor worsened after Mr. Kobach arrived in 2011, and Republican-controlled legislatures began enacting laws to require more proof of identity when registering and casting ballots. “I still remember my first voter participation meeting in which he was talking about what he was doing in Kansas to root out voter fraud,” said Denise W. Merrill, the Connecticut secretary of state. “And I remember saying out loud, ‘I thought we were here talking about how to get more voters to participate, not fewer.’”Some Democrats say the tenor worsened after Mr. Kobach arrived in 2011, and Republican-controlled legislatures began enacting laws to require more proof of identity when registering and casting ballots. “I still remember my first voter participation meeting in which he was talking about what he was doing in Kansas to root out voter fraud,” said Denise W. Merrill, the Connecticut secretary of state. “And I remember saying out loud, ‘I thought we were here talking about how to get more voters to participate, not fewer.’”
“And everybody laughed,” she said. “But it wasn’t really funny.”“And everybody laughed,” she said. “But it wasn’t really funny.”
Mr. Kobach did not attend the weekend meeting and could not be reached for comment.Mr. Kobach did not attend the weekend meeting and could not be reached for comment.
Mr. Trump’s election and his voter fraud claim since have brought strains to the surface. At the organization’s last meeting in February, Mr. Padilla and other Democrats pressed the secretaries to adopt a resolution refuting the claim. “The vast majority of Democrats and Republicans were saying the same thing: ‘It’s not true,’” he said. “But when we came together as a group, they wouldn’t go on the record.”Mr. Trump’s election and his voter fraud claim since have brought strains to the surface. At the organization’s last meeting in February, Mr. Padilla and other Democrats pressed the secretaries to adopt a resolution refuting the claim. “The vast majority of Democrats and Republicans were saying the same thing: ‘It’s not true,’” he said. “But when we came together as a group, they wouldn’t go on the record.”
The organization has its peacemakers. Colorado’s Republican secretary of state, Wayne Williams, said he believed that some news accounts had exaggerated both the effect of Mr. Kobach’s request for voter records, which made clear that compliance was voluntary, and the backlash by election officials. Remarks by some secretaries, whom he declined to name, had not helped, he added.The organization has its peacemakers. Colorado’s Republican secretary of state, Wayne Williams, said he believed that some news accounts had exaggerated both the effect of Mr. Kobach’s request for voter records, which made clear that compliance was voluntary, and the backlash by election officials. Remarks by some secretaries, whom he declined to name, had not helped, he added.
“Those of us in the leadership are working to ensure that we can still work well together on the issues on which we can agree,” said Mr. Williams, a moderate who has not echoed Mr. Kobach’s call for tighter constraints on registering and voting.“Those of us in the leadership are working to ensure that we can still work well together on the issues on which we can agree,” said Mr. Williams, a moderate who has not echoed Mr. Kobach’s call for tighter constraints on registering and voting.
A test of that wilingness to agree could come on Monday, when Mr. Padilla is expected to introduce a resolution taking issue with Mr. Kobach’s commission and its dragnet for data. A test of that willingness to agree could come on Monday, when Mr. Padilla is expected to introduce a resolution taking issue with Mr. Kobach’s commission and its dragnet for data.
“Most secretaries are saying the right things” in public, Mr. Padilla said, by raising doubts about seeking voters’ data and storing it on federal government servers. “Let’s see if they have the backbone to do it as a group.”“Most secretaries are saying the right things” in public, Mr. Padilla said, by raising doubts about seeking voters’ data and storing it on federal government servers. “Let’s see if they have the backbone to do it as a group.”