Libertarian Ernie Hancock will not post the personal information of a million Arizona voters on the Internet Feb. 23 as threatened.
Or at least he promised that he wouldn't. Maricopa County elections officials failed to gain a restraining order Friday prohibiting the mass posting until a judge decides whether Hancock's plan is legal.
The county would have a case for contempt of court if Hancock posted the material, but Hancock is not precluded from following through on his plan before a March 20 hearing on the matter, Presiding Superior Court Judge Robert Myers ruled.
Attorneys for the county pressed Myers for a restraining order, saying they do not believe Hancock will keep his word about not posting the information.
"He has said numerous times that he does not mind going to jail," Deputy County Attorney Jill Kennedy said. "He has made numerous statements that he is going to do what he wants to do."
Hancock, Maricopa County Libertarian Party chairman, gained access to the mailing lists of registered voters last month when Myers ruled that his group was an official party. The taxpayer-funded databases are provided free to political parties, and political campaigns must pay for their use. The databases contain addresses, telephone numbers, dates and places of birth, the final four digits of Social Security numbers and record of when people voted.
Hancock said Friday that he did not intend to post the information, he simply wanted to prove that he could.
Hancock said he wants the ability to make his voter information private and not for sale.
"I don't want my information to go to the political elite, and I don't want a stalker to get information about my 19-year-old daughter because she voted," Hancock said.