Who Watches the Watchmen? We do.
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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Legislative Threats and Opportunities: Spring 2015
To date in 2015, lawmakers in 24 states have proposed at least 52 bills that threaten voting rights, while lawmakers in 36 states have proposed to improve election administration in some way... Read more
Policy Paper: Voter Registration Transparency
This policy brief addresses the importance of transparency in the voter registration and list maintenance process, discusses current law and efforts to ensure public access to voter registration information, and reviews some best practices for making information available to the public. Read more
Policy Paper: Maintaining Current and Accurate Voter Lists
This report discusses some of the challenges for election officials inherent in maintaining accurate voter lists while ensuring no eligible voters are wrongfully removed from the rolls, and offers recommendations for implementing best practices. Read more
The National Voter Registration Act: Case Summaries
This analysis of litigation under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 covers key issues including: (1) the constitutionality of the NVRA; (2) public agency registration under Section 7; (3) voter list maintenance under Section 8; (4) designation of certain offices as mandatory agencies under Section 7; (5) voter registration process; and (6) restrictions on third-party registration. Read more
A Review of Academic Literature on the Effectiveness of the National Voter Registration Act
A 2009 review of academic literature on the effectiveness of the National Voter Registration Act. Read more
Legislative Summary: The National Voter Registration Act
The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 dramatically increased the opportunities for eligible Americans to become registered to vote in Federal elections. This document is a short summary of relevant sections, followed by a closer examination of some of the Act’s requirements. Read more