Overview
All states must perform voter list maintenance, but states vary widely in their individual list maintenance practices. While there are routine methods for maintaining these lists, like removing voters who have moved or have passed away, many states have recently begun adopting overly aggressive and flawed policies which result in “purges” that can disenfranchise otherwise eligible voters.
While voter list maintenance policies have long been a subject of debate, recent developments at the state and federal level threaten to further increase the risk of overly broad purges.
MAP’s fifth and final brief in the Democracy 101 series examines the history and development of voter list maintenance policies, the current landscape, legislative proposals, and it contrasts accepted best practices with policies that lead to problematic — and often targeted or discriminatory — voter purges.
