In the fall, Pennsylvania's Secretary of State Al Schmidt held a line in protecting the privacy of Pennsylvania's voters by refusing to provide data requested by the federal Department of Justice. As we kickoff RAC-PA's 2026 Voting Rights Campaign, which is a focal point of the RAC's 2026 Every Voice, Every Vote Campaign, we invite you to join us in building our relationship with Sec. of State Al Schmidt by sending him this message of thanks for what he has done to protect the freedom to vote here in Pennsylvania.
Al Schmidt's response to the DOJ’s request was calling it “unprecedented and unlawful,” and he promised to “vigorously fight the federal government’s overreach in court." "I have an obligation to protect the personal information that Pennsylvania voters entrust us with, and I take that obligation extremely seriously," he stated. Providing the full database, he argued, would release the personal data of thousands of Pennsylvanians, in violation of state and federal privacy protection laws. “This request, and reported efforts to collect broad data on millions of Americans, represent a concerning attempt to expand the federal government’s role in our country’s electoral process,” Schmidt wrote in the fall. He offered to give the DOJ the same voter roll records available to the public.
Source: Bernard K and Palmer C. (2025, September 25). Trump’s Department of Justice sues Pennsylvania for voter roll info that the state says risks voters’ privacy. The Philadelphia Inquirer. https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/pennsylvania-state-department-secretary-al-schmidt-suit-20250925.html.
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Dear Secretary of State Schmidt,
On behalf of the thousands of Reform Jews in the state of Pennsylvania, we, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism's Pennsylvania state representatives, want to commend you for your refusal to provide individual PA voter data to the Federal government and Attorney General Bondi. We applaud your strong stance of declaring the request “unprecedented and unlawful” and are deeply grateful for your promise to “vigorously fight the federal government’s overreach in court.”
As an organization for the past five years, we have been focused on ensuring every voice in our state has a vote, calling our work "Every Voice Every Vote." As Reform Jews, we cling to the teaching in Deuteronomy "Justice, Justice shall you pursue," and as Jewish Pennsylvanians, we are especially called upon to "Proclaim liberty throughout the land. We are grateful that you, as a state leader, understand the potential threat to justice and liberty that this type of data sharing might pose to our residents.
Jewish teachings throughout the centuries have commanded each of us when we find ourselves "In a place where people are not acting with human dignity, to strive to embody humanity." Knowing that you stated publicly your obligation "to protect the personal information that Pennsylvania voters entrust us with, and I take that obligation extremely seriously,” is comforting, inspiring, and worthy of our gratitude for your leadership.
Thank you for all you are doing as our Secretary of State. It is noticed and appreciated.