Legislators to Subpoena Secretary of State on Voter Roll Question
Lawmakers want to know whether Jacobsen shared unredacted voter files after Justice Department officials asked for data on 48 states, records show.
- On Wednesday, September 2, the State Administration and Veterans Affairs interim committee voted 10-1 to subpoena Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen over voter registration information shared with the U.S. Department of Justice.
- Federal officials demanded unredacted voter files, including driver's license numbers and partial Social Security numbers, to verify eligibility through the Department of Justice's SAVE database, which Jacobsen began using in November 2025.
- Rep. Marc Lee and Sen. Jacinda Morigeau said the committee has been "rebuffed" repeatedly when requesting details about private data transferred, citing cybersecurity risks and threats to voting rights.
- Jacobsen did not attend Wednesday's meeting; Secretary of State spokesperson Richie Melby cited election security preparations, while legal staff warned the office might contest the subpoena in court, triggering litigation.
- Nationally, the Trump Administration faces ongoing legal challenges over voter data demands, with federal judges ruling in 23 lawsuits that the Help America Vote Act does not require states to disclose unredacted databases.
13 Articles
13 Articles
ABC FOX Montana
Legislators to subpoena Secretary of State on voter roll question
Members of a legislative oversight committee voted 10-1 this week to subpoena Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen for the type of information her office turned over to the U.S. Department of Justice. Sen. Mike Cuffe, a Eureka Republican, cast the…
NBC Montana
Flathead BeaconLegislators to subpoena secretary of state over voter data handoff
State lawmakers have voted to subpoena information about Montana’s voter registry from Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen to determine what voter information h
Lawmakers subpoena Montana’s secretary of state over voter information shared with U.S. Department of Justice
State lawmakers are subpoenaing information about Montana’s voter registry from Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen to determine what voter information her office has shared with the federal government.
Helena Independent Record
Lawmakers subpoena Montana Sec of State for voter data turned over to Trump administration
The move tees up a dispute in which a Republican legislative branch seeks data from a GOP state official trying to maneuver a potential lawsuit by the president.
Committee votes to subpoena Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen
HELENA, Mont. — Montana House and Senate Democrats said the State Administration and Veterans Affairs interim committee voted 10-1 on September 2, 2026, to subpoena Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen over questions about private voter data shared with the federal…
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