PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island’s secretary of state is receiving increasing pushback over her decision to remove birth dates from the public voter database, which she says protects voters from identity theft.
The Providence Journal reports that the New England First Amendment Coalition says Nellie Gorbea’s decision “blatantly violates” the state’s Access to Public Records Act.
The House GOP Caucus issued a statement Tuesday saying Gorbea is “impeding voter transparency.”
Full birth dates can show how accurately the voting list is maintained and allows for searches for voters registered in more than one place, or those that have died.
The newspaper is seeking a copy of the database with full names and birth dates. The Oct. 29 request is still pending.
Democrat Gorbea said Tuesday while she supports transparency, she backs her decision.
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Information from: The Providence Journal, http://www.providencejournal.com
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