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Voter Purges May Threaten 2018 Midterms

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Voter Purges May Threaten 2018 Midterms

"New York, NY – Efforts to remove voters from registration lists that are deployed without federal safeguards threaten ballot access during midterm elections this fall. A new explainer from the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law details four unfair purge techniques – purportedly methods to remove ineligible voters from registration rolls –  that could contribute to problems at the polls and could ultimately disenfranchise eligible voters.

“Purges have always posed risks for voters, but this year we’re seeing new, insidious methods of purges that all voting rights groups must watch as we near November,” said Jonathan Brater, counsel in the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program. “These questionable approaches used to kick people off the rolls risk silencing eligible voters wanting to cast a ballot. Maintaining accurate voter rolls is crucial, but sloppy and ultimately illegal attempts to do so threaten to rob citizens of their fundamental rights.”

The new Brennan Center resource, Voter Purges: The Risks in 2018, both examines prevalent methods of improper purges and discusses instances at the state and local level where these approaches have threatened voting rights..."

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