May Washington purge the existing voter registration rolls and begin a new voter registration system?
No, the practice of wholesale purging of voter registration rolls is specifically prohibited by Federal law. The National Voter Registration Act Of 1993 [NVRA or Motor Voter Act; 42 U.S.C. 1973gg-5(a) & (b)] restricts the manner in which states can purge voters from the voter rolls. This law prohibits a state from removing a voter from the voter registration rolls except as provided in the law. The law permits removal only at the voter’s request, for felony conviction or mental incapacity, or as part of a general effort to remove ineligible voters from the rolls.
Related Questions
- My family member is deceased, but his or her name is still active in the Colorado statewide voter registration system. How can I have his or her name cancelled?
- Under the NVRA, what are the circumstances under which a State can remove a persons name from the voter registration rolls?
- Didn’t Arkansas already have a central voter registration system?
