Buffeted by questions after agreeing to limited compliance with a presidential commission’s request for voter information, the Nevada secretary of state’s office is hoping to assuage concerns.

The SOS has received dozens of tweets, hundreds of emails and 50-80 phone calls, Wayne Thorley, the elections deputy, told me Monday. “They are mostly asking, ‘Why are you doing this? Why are you giving over public data?'” Thorley said.

The office clearly was fretting about the blowback since the Thursday announcement, sending out a couple of tweets in response:

Party affiliation is a public record. The release was written to clearly state what isnt a public record, not provide a full list of what is

— Nevada Elections (@NVElect) June 30, 2017

Lots of misinformation. Wondering exactly what @NVSOS said re: data request? Her official statement is here: https://t.co/ktJSDQ0OBa

— Nevada Elections (@NVElect) July 2, 2017

But with the barrage continuing, Thorley agreed to answer some questions.

Why turn over any data at all?

“We can’t legally deny them access to inspect a public record,” Thorley said. “To suggest we should deny someone access to public documents just because we don’t like them or like their views would have a pretty chilling effect. We weren’t willing to entertain that at all.”

This is the key part of the statute:

No information relating to a registered voter may be withheld from the public other than:

  (a) The address and telephone number of the registered voter if requested by the registered voter pursuant to this section;

  (b) An electronic mail address provided by the registered voter to carry out any state or federal law relating to the voting process;

  (c) The social security number and driver’s license or identification card number of the registered voter; and

  (d) Any other information relating to the registered voter that any state or federal law declares to be confidential or otherwise requires to be withheld from the public.

“We are giving out name, address, date of birth,” Thorley said. "We are not giving out Social Security numbers, drivers license numbers and email addresses."

There is “a lot of concern that we are giving out party affiliation,” but that is part of the public record, Thorley said, echoing the Friday tweet from the office account. “Those on the left are concerned that somehow this commission will take all those registered as Democrats and do something with it,” he added.

Some voters actually have feared the administration would learn who they voted for. “Who you voted for is your business,” Thorley said.

How have most states responded?

Most that have responded did so in the same way as Nevada, Thorley said. He provided me with a memo from the National Association of Secretaries of State that showed, as of Saturday, how each state has responded to the commission’s request.

Can voters request that certain information not be turned over?

Yes. Voters can request that their address and phone number be kept confidential, Thorley said. They simply need to contact the local county clerk.

Has the commission already obtained any data?

Thorley said the panel must obtain the information just as any third party must -- by filling out a form to access a data download. The presidential commission has not done so yet, Thorley said, although 36 other groups have so far this year. (It’s possible one of those groups could have turned over the information to the commission.)