Letters between the U.S. Department of Justice and the Pennsylvania Department of State reveal a polite but pointed exchange in what has become part of a nationwide fight over the federal government’s role in elections.

An Aug. 14 letter from the Department of Justice asks for a copy of Pennsylvania’s voter registration list, including the “registrant’s full name, date of birth, residential address, and his or her state driver’s license number or the last four digits of the registrant’s Social Security number” to “register individuals for federal elections.”

Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt declined to provide the requested information.

“This request, and reported efforts to collect broad data on millions of Americans, represent a concerning attempt to expand the fe

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