Mullin asks DOJ to probe voter data, voting systems

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has requested the Justice Department investigate the reliability of certain digital voting systems and the handling of sensitive voter data by election-related nonprofit organizations. In a letter sent Wednesday, September 2, 2026, to Attorney General Todd Blanche, Mullin raised concerns that ballot-marking devices, which use bar codes or QR codes to tally votes, may not produce a verifiable record suitable for manual audits. The secretary also asked the Justice Department to examine whether the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) and the Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR) improperly obtained and shared private state motor vehicle and voter registration data. Mullin's inquiry centers on potential violations of the federal Drivers Privacy Protection Act, which governs the disclosure and use of personal information held by state motor vehicle agencies. According to Mullin's letter, ERIC, a nonprofit membership organization governed by state election officials, collects sensitive data from member states, including Social Security and driver's license numbers.