Judge sides with conservative group in its push to access, publish voter rolls online

By MORGAN LEE
Associated Press

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that New Mexico election officials violated public disclosure provisions of the National Voter Registration Act by refusing to provide voter rolls to a conservative group and its public online database. The opinion and order Friday from U.S. District Court Judge James Browning mostly sided with the Voter Reference Foundation in its efforts to expand a free database of registered voters so that other groups and individuals can take it upon themselves to try to find potential fraud. Election officials and privacy advocates say voters lists could find their way into the hands of malicious actors or disenfranchise voters through intimidation and canceled registrations.