White House reiterates claim China collected U.S. voter registration data
The administration said intelligence agencies believe China obtained millions of voter registration files, describing it as election interference, while experts note many of those records are publicly accessible.
The White House on Thursday reaffirmed that U.S. intelligence agencies assess China gathered millions of American voter registration files, labeling the activity as election interference. A fact sheet, approved by the CIA, NSA, Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said the data included information not publicly available, though it did not detail the specific content or the states affected. An administration official told reporters that the intelligence community believes China purchased, stole or hacked the files, but could not confirm the proportion obtained by each method.
The statement added that Chinese cyber actors accessed voter registration data hosted on commercial websites in 2022. The allegation first surfaced earlier this month after President Trump declassified intelligence records he said demonstrated a significant breach of election data. Election experts have noted that voter registration files are public in many states and that their acquisition does not necessarily enable foreign actors to alter election outcomes.
According to the official, China’s effort spanned several years, obtaining tens of millions of files from 18 states in 2020 and reaching 220 million files by 2023. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is considering whether to issue victim notifications to Americans whose data may have been accessed.
A 2020 assessment by the National Intelligence Officer for Cyber Issues indicated Chinese intelligence analyzed voter data to conduct public-opinion analysis of the 2020 general election. A newly released 2020 memo warned that adversaries with access to voter registration systems could potentially alter data to prevent voting, though it said no specific plans were known. Subsequent intelligence assessments concluded that no foreign actors, including China, altered voter registrations, ballots, or vote counts in the 2020 election.
China has denied any involvement in U.S. election meddling, with its embassy stating it adheres to a principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs.