Public Interest Legal Foundation v. Steve Simon

Case Attorney: Nicholas Nelson and Allie Howell

Access to public voter information is supposed to be consistent across the country, but in Minnesota, it isn’t.

In May 2024, the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), with the Upper Midwest Law Center serving as local counsel, filed a federal lawsuit challenging Minnesota’s exemption from a key transparency requirement under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

At issue is whether Minnesota can legally block out-of-state individuals and organizations from accessing its voter roll—a restriction that does not apply in most other states.

Under the NVRA’s Public Disclosure Provision, states are required to make voter registration records available to the public at a reasonable cost. But Minnesota law currently prohibits anyone outside the state from purchasing that data, effectively limiting who can review voter rolls and how that information can be used.

This case argues that Minnesota’s exemption violates the constitutional principle of equal state sovereignty—the idea that all states must be treated equally under federal law. According to the lawsuit, allowing Minnesota to operate under a different set of rules undermines transparency and creates an uneven playing field nationwide.

If successful, the case could expand public access to Minnesota’s voter roll and reinforce uniform standards for election transparency across the country.

This lawsuit is part of a broader effort, as a similar challenge has also been filed against Wisconsin over the same issue.