Voter Roll Transparency

Who Watches the Watchmen? We do.

Photo by Rama [CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons]

The history of election administration in the U.S. is plagued with erroneous, partisan, and illegal practices that have denied the right to vote to American citizens. Valid voter registration applications have been wrongfully denied. Thousands of eligible voters have been mistakenly—or deliberately—removed from the rolls. Phony claims of voter registration fraud have been used to attack, persecute, and restrict voter registration efforts.

Fair access to records is vital for ensuring that states are not using arbitrary or politically-motivated criteria for rejecting applicants or purging voters in secret. This is why the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) requires public disclosure of voter registration activities: to encourage accountability, to help identify and stop inaccurate voter list maintenance programs, and to educate voters on how to complete applications and remain on the rolls.

And that’s why Project Vote is leading efforts to make sure states are complying with their transparency obligations under the NVRA, guaranteeing that voter registration records and list maintenance procedures are clear, in compliance with law, and available for inspection.

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Recorder’s Office settlement with Project Vote could show voters who were kicked off rolls

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A settlement between the Maricopa County Recorder's Office and a national voting-rights group could shine a light on how voters are removed from voting rolls across Greater Phoenix. Read more

Maricopa County Recorder Agrees to Settlement with Voting Rights Group Over Access to Records

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Project Vote and the office of Adrian Fontes, Maricopa Co. Recorder, announced the settlement of a lawsuit over the transparency of voter registration records. Read more

Project Vote v. Reagan: Settlement Agreement with Maricopa County

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A settlement agreement between Maricopa County, Arizona and Project Vote, to ensure that election protection groups have fair and reasonable access to voter registration records as required by the NVRA. Read more

Project Vote v. Kemp: Plaintiff’s Opposition to Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss

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Plaintiff’s opposition to defendant’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction. Read more

Project Vote v. Kemp: Defendant’s Brief in Support of Motion to Dismiss

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Defendant Kemp’s brief in support of his motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction. Read more

Project Vote v. Kemp: Answer and Defenses

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Answer and defenses in Project Vote v. Kemp. Read more

Voting Rights Fight in Georgia Grows More Intense

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The fight for voting rights in Georgia isn’t new; we have been working there for years. Read more

Judge orders release of Georgia’s rejected voter records

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"We are pleased that the court has recognized the merits of this case, and has ordered the prompt release of records," said Michelle Kanter Cohen, election counsel for Project Vote. "Decisions about who is and is not able to register to vote must be made in the open for our democracy to be fair and accessible." Read more

Judge Orders Ga. Secretary of State to Release Rejected Voter Records

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James Cobb, an attorney at Atlanta's Caplan Cobb who is co-counsel on the case, called Duffey's order "an important acknowledgment of the right of groups like Project Vote—and of all of Georgia's citizens—to monitor the state's voter-registration practices." Read more

Judge orders Georgia to release database records on voter registration

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A federal judge has ordered Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp to release more detailed public records about why the state decides to reject applicants trying to register to vote... Read more