This week's question was, How many states place no restrictions on who can purchase voter file data?

You answered: 24.
The correct answer was 31.

In 2002, Congress passed and President George W. Bush (R) signed the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). The law requires states to create centralized, electronic voter registration files.

Voter file data is available for purchase in every state but each state has developed its own guidelines regarding the sale of voter registration data.

In a 2016 report, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission classified the availability of voter file information in each state as either open, mixed, or restricted, based on the type of individuals or group that were allowed to purchase the data.

• Thirty-one states have open availability, meaning they have no restrictions on the types of individuals and groups that can purchase their voter file data.
• Sixteen states have mixed availability, meaning certain types of individuals or groups can purchase information from voter file data that is unavailable to others. In a case like this, a state might restrict voter contact information to government officials but allow anyone to access voter history and political party information.
• Four states have restricted availability, meaning only certain types of individuals or groups are allowed to purchase voter file data.

Thanks for your response!