Voter Purges and Challenges
States are pressured to purge their voter rolls of ineligible voters or duplicate records. But they often do so without adequate protections for eligible voters. For example, the lists states use as the basis for purging voter rolls may be riddled with inaccuracies, resulting in the removal of many eligible voters. The substantial discretion many states vest in election officials leaves room for manipulation of purges to suppress certain votes. And although federal law requires states to follow certain procedures, such as notifying a voter before removing their name from a list, states nevertheless conduct purges without informing individuals, denying them an opportunity to protect their rights. Unfair challenges or caging practices may also lead to the removal of eligible voters from the voter rolls.To guard against these problems, The Brennan Center provides legal assistance to government officials and advocates seeking to ensure that voter purges and challenges are non-discriminatory and do not result in the disenfranchisement of eligible voters. We are currently in the process of studying and analyzing the purge practices in a number of states. The Center will soon release a report about purges of the voter rolls.
Common Cause of Colorado, et al. v. Buescher
A coalition of voting rights groups sued the Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman (who, upon leaving office, was replaced by Brian Buescher) claiming he illegally removed over 27,000 voters from the rolls. They filed a temporary restraining order to get those names reinstated and to ensure additional names cannot be removed before Election Day.
In 1982, after caging in predominantly African-American and Latino neighborhoods, the Republican National Committee and New Jersey Republican State Committee entered into a consent decree with their Democratic party counterparts.
Van Hollen v. Government Accountability Board
Wisconsin AG, J.B. Van Hollen, claims the state’s Government Accountability Board(GAB) is incompliant with HAVA by not retroactively running database matches and purging voters from registration rolls.
Yesterday, Ohio Sec. of State Jennifer Brunner released to Gov. Ted Strickland and the Ohio General Assembly a “blueprint for enhancing Ohio’s elections”....
The Ohio Secretary of State’s elections summit is a process I hope other Secretaries of State will follow....
Sean Combs & Russell Simmons Team Up
Last week, the stars got together to record voting PSAs, and the ads have been placed in several key states....
Illustrations by Risko
Brennan Center Releases Report on Brunner’s Historic Election Summit
Bipartisan group reaches consensus on framework for reform for Ohio Elections.
Election Officials Voice Support For Brennan Center Report
Release from the Ohio Association of Election Officials, cross-posted on the Brennan Center web site.
NAMUDNO | Center Urges Supreme Court to Uphold a Key Provision of the Voting Rights Act
Brief filed in NAMUDNO. Provision essential to preserving voting rights of minorities.
Adam Skaggs before the Illinois House of Representaton
Testimony on legislative trends in election administration delivered before the House Elections Committee.
Letter to Attorney General Mukasey
Letter from voting rights groups urging the Department of Justice to issue a public statement or letter assuring that the rights of all voters to participate in the election will be free of intimidation or harrassment will be protected.
Letter to Mike Coffman, Colorado’s Secretary of State
Letter sent to Secretary regarding potential disenfranchisement of voters whose registration forms do not contain an unnecessary checkmark.
Voter Suppression Incidents 2008
A list of voter suppression incidents from the 2008 election.
CNN Voter Purges | Wendy Weiser
Wendy Weiser appears on segement in which CNN’s Abbie Boudreau looks into allegations of voter purges.
GRIT tv | Wendy Weiser, Voter Rolls
Wendy Weiser discusses the procedural battles being fought over the voter rolls. David Earnhardt and Ron Kuby also join Laura Flanders on the show.