DeKALB – Recent disagreements between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Illinois State Board of Elections have raised questions about government policy.

In August, the DOJ requested voter information from the Illinois State Board of Elections by Sept. 1, including driver’s licenses, dates of birth, state identification numbers and partial social security numbers.

While the DOJ also requested information from other states, the Illinois Board denied the request, citing that state and federal law prevent it from revealing voters’ private information because it jeopardizes voters’ privacy as stated in the Federal Privacy Act of 1974.

So far, the Board of Elections has provided basic information normally given to government agencies such as names, addresses, ages at the time of registering and voting jurisdiction. The DOJ has continued to request the additional information, claiming federal law gives it the right to do so for record inspection purposes.

Scot Schraufnagel, a political science professor at NIU, said the requests are illegal.

“The Department of Justice and the Trump administration has no business asking states to provide information or do anything,” Schraufnagel said. “It’s not legitimate.”

He also clarified what would make the request legally possible.

“Can the national government require states to provide certain information or something like that? Yes, but they have to write a law,” he said.

Voting NIU student and junior industrial and production engineering technology major Djay Winters expressed his opinions on privacy concerns.

“I don’t want my information getting out because I don’t want anyone else walking around as me,” Winters said. “They want to keep track of who’s voting and all that information, so I get it on both sides.”