TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Non-confidential voter information was inadvertently released in March following the fulfillment of voter registration record extract requests, the Florida Division of Elections has learned.
Officials said confidential information, such as Social Security numbers, was not released.
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While the incident is still being investigated, election officials determined that the release of the non-confidential information was due to a malfunction in the automated software used to process record extract requests.
The department said it is taking action to prevent future occurrences.
The incident involved the inclusion of non-confidential information for high-risk professionals. Although voter registration records are public under Florida Public Records law, people designated as high-risk professionals are allowed exemption from having some personal contact information made public, officials said.
"The Florida Division of Elections has already provided notice to the recipients of 15 CDs containing the exempt information with instructions to disregard, destroy and/or return the information," the department said. "The division is also in the process of notifying the affected individuals whose information was inadvertently released."
Those affected by the incident are unlikely to be impacted, officials said, but if any fraud, threats or harassment believed to be connected to the incident occurs, people are encouraged to report such incidents to local law enforcement.
Public record exemption for high-risk professionals
Voter registration records are public under Florida Public Records law. Officials said this means non-confidential information -- such as a voter's name, date of birth, address, phone number and email address -- are public.
The only information that is confidential and exempt under all circumstances are driver's licenses, state identification cards and Social Security numbers, officials said.
The law does allow select group of high-risk professionals to request an exemption for non-confidential information. Individuals designated as high-risk professionals include, but are not limited to, law enforcement officials, judges and high-level state officials, the department said.
The professional must make the request in writing to each agency that may have the information in its public records, officials said.
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