Voter roll maintenance

Voter roll maintenance is the work election officials do to keep lists of registered voters accurate. It involves adding new registrants and removing those who have died, moved away, been convicted of disqualifying crimes where applicable, or otherwise become ineligible. Critics use the word "purge" for removals; officials prefer "list maintenance."

The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 requires states to make a reasonable effort to remove ineligible voters but also bars removal for failing to vote alone. A common method is to send a notice to a voter who may have moved and, if there is no response and the person does not vote in the next two federal general elections, to remove them. In Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute (2018), the Supreme Court upheld Ohio's version of this process. Many states share data through the Electronic Registration Information Center.

Supporters say clean rolls reduce errors, prevent double voting and help with confidence. Opponents say aggressive or error-prone purges remove eligible voters, who are then forced to use a provisional ballot or re-register. Both agree outdated lists are a problem, and that accuracy matters. Disputes about noncitizen voting often involve whether removal programs are accurate.