Case Study on Voter Roll Purges in Ohio

Kansas City, MO — Let America Vote today released “Ohio: Protect the Voter Rolls from Illegal Purges That Make it Harder For Eligible Citizens to Vote,” a case study that explores the impact of voter roll purges that prevent eligible, registered voters from participating in elections due to the improper removal of voters from state voter files.

This is the second case study in a series that will highlight voter suppression tactics across the country and the personal stories of advocates fighting to eliminate barriers to the ballot box. The series aims to provide a comparison between the different forms of voter suppression, the targets of efforts to make voting less accessible, and the different strategies of fighting to keep elections fair and accessible for all eligible voters.

“Protecting the integrity of the vote starts with the voter rolls,” said Jason Kander, President of Let America Vote. “Maintaining an accurate voter file is one of the most important jobs of a state election official, and that responsibility comes with potential for abuse that can totally disrupt the democratic process.”

“Illegal purging of voter rolls can heavily bias the outcome of an election before a single vote is even cast. Beyond that, creating confusion at the polls can drive down turnout and turn life-long voters into non-voters altogether. It’s essential that we have secure, non-partisan systems in place all over the country to keep voter rolls safe and up-to-date. And whenever elections officials illegally remove voters from the rolls, they have to be held accountable–both politically and legally.”

The full case study can be found here.