What Information From Your Voting Record Is Public?

By Sarah Williams, J.D. | Legally reviewed by Laura Temme, Esq. | Last reviewed March 26, 2024

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Because our voting ballots are secret, many voters believe that information about their voting record is as well. That is far from the truth. At least some voter registration information is public unless the voter is in a class of protected people as explained below.

Each state has laws on how much information the requestor can access. In addition, the Secretary of State page will list what confidential information is not accessible and restrictions on the purposes of the released voting information. For example, law enforcement may access voting records when investigating potential election crimes and breaches of sensitive voter data.

What information do state voting records contain?

The public information in state voting records includes, at minimum, the voter's name, address, and party affiliation. States are free to gather additional information on the voter registration application, and some of that information may also become public.

The table below lays out information your voting record may include.

Voting Record Information

Examples

Identifying information
  • Date of birth
  • Gender
  • Father's name or mother's maiden name
  • Social Security number
  • Military ID
  • Passport number
  • Driver's license number
  • State identification card

Address information
  • Home address
  • Mailing address
  • Voting district
  • Polling Place

Contact information
  • Phone number
  • Email address

Voting information
  • Party affiliation
  • Absentee ballot
  • Precincts, registering agency, or required assistance
  • Last voting date, e.g., local election or primary election

Miscellaneous information
  • Prior felony conviction
  • Last date of jury duty
  • Active or inactive voter registration status
  • Date when information was last updated

Who can request voting record information?

State statutes define who can request a voter list, what information is available to share publicly and with whom, and how that information can be used.

Depending upon your state (and sometimes your county), the following groups can submit a written request for your voting record:

  • Political parties and candidates
  • Law enforcement
  • Government officials
  • Businesses
  • Scholars
  • Journalists

Even members of the general public can submit a public records request. For example, two phone apps make some voting record information available to the general public – OutVote and VoteWithMe.

Political campaigns purchase voting records for political purposes, such as revising election district boundaries in California or “get out the vote" efforts in Maine.

Nearly all states limit the use of voter registration records to non-commercial purposes only. Election officials and political campaigns cannot use resident's voting history to harass them or sell the information to foreign agencies.

Can my voting record be kept private?

Your state may have programs that allow you to keep at least some part of your voter record confidential. For example, some states have an address confidentiality program to protect the personal information of domestic violence victims, including their addresses.

Additional examples of people who qualify for protection include:

  • Crime victims, people with protective orders, and family members
  • Law enforcement officers
  • Spouses of law enforcement
  • Reproductive healthcare medical providers, employees, volunteers, or patients
  • State and federal judges and attorneys
  • Foster parents
  • Uniformed service members
  • Pre-registered voters under the age of 18
  • Victims and witnesses under protection

In some states, any voter can request to have their voting records classified as private, including:

  • Utah
  • Nevada
  • District of Columbia
  • Arkansas
  • Arizona
  • Delaware

This article provides a brief overview regarding lawful access to voting records. There have been problems with unlawful access to voting records. In 2018, millions of voter records from 19 states were illegally offered for sale in an online forum. The source of those records was unknown.

The National Conference of State Legislatures maintains a detailed list of what data is confidential, allowable uses, and state-specific rules.

Talk to a Lawyer About Exemptions From Public Record Requests

If you have a concern about the privacy of your voting record, potential voting record violations, or other voting law issues, talk to an election law attorney in your community who can explain your rights.

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