This bill, known as the "Voter Purge Protection Act," significantly amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to impose stricter conditions on how states remove voters from official lists. It mandates that a state may only remove a registrant if it can verify, using objective and reliable evidence , that the individual is truly ineligible to vote in federal elections. This aims to prevent unwarranted purges based on insufficient data. Crucially, the bill specifies that certain factors, such as a registrant's failure to vote in any election or their failure to respond to a notice (unless undeliverable), are not considered objective and reliable evidence for removal. Furthermore, it requires states to provide prompt notification to individuals whose names are removed, detailing the grounds for removal and the process for contesting it or reinstatement. States must also issue public notices after any general voter list maintenance program, encouraging voters to verify their registration status. The legislation also tightens the rules for when states can send notices to registrants regarding potential changes in residence. Under the bill, states are prohibited from transmitting such notices unless they first obtain objective and reliable evidence that the registrant has indeed changed residence to a location outside the jurisdiction where they are currently registered. This provision seeks to prevent speculative or broad-based mailings that could lead to erroneous voter removals.
This bill, known as the "Voter Purge Protection Act," significantly amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to impose stricter conditions on how states remove voters from official lists. It mandates that a state may only remove a registrant if it can verify, using objective and reliable evidence , that the individual is truly ineligible to vote in federal elections. This aims to prevent unwarranted purges based on insufficient data. Crucially, the bill specifies that certain factors, such as a registrant's failure to vote in any election or their failure to respond to a notice (unless undeliverable), are not considered objective and reliable evidence for removal. Furthermore, it requires states to provide prompt notification to individuals whose names are removed, detailing the grounds for removal and the process for contesting it or reinstatement. States must also issue public notices after any general voter list maintenance program, encouraging voters to verify their registration status. The legislation also tightens the rules for when states can send notices to registrants regarding potential changes in residence. Under the bill, states are prohibited from transmitting such notices unless they first obtain objective and reliable evidence that the registrant has indeed changed residence to a location outside the jurisdiction where they are currently registered. This provision seeks to prevent speculative or broad-based mailings that could lead to erroneous voter removals.