NEW YORK CITY
The Department of Justice announced Tuesday that it has entered into a settlement with the Board of Elections in the City of New York, according to officials.
This resolves the Department’s claims that the board improperly removed New York City voters from voter registration rolls in violation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
Under the terms of the settlement, the Board of Elections will ensure that the names of affected voters will be restored to the City’s voter registration list.
The Justice Department’s investigation found that the board removed approximately 117,000 voters from the voter registration list solely due to the voters’ failure to vote, something that federal law forbids.
The Board of Elections also failed to follow Voter Registration Act procedures designed to protect voters from wrongful removal from the voter registration list.
The Voter Registration Act includes requirements for maintaining voter registration lists in elections for federal office.
The Voter Registration Act requires that states make a reasonable effort to remove voters who may have become ineligible due to having died or moved.
At the same time, the Voter Registration Act has protections against wrongful removal, including specific procedures for voters who may have moved and a requirement that voters cannot be removed solely because he or she has not voted.
The settlement also requires the board to develop and use a voter registration list maintenance procedures that comply fully with federal law and protect New York City voters from improper removal.
The parties will submit the settlement to a federal judge for court approval.
“Complete and accurate voter registration lists strengthen our democracy,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division commends the Board of Elections for working with the Division to ensure that New York City’s voter registration list accurately reflects its eligible registrants, as envisioned by the National Voter Registration Act.”
“The improper removal of voters from the rolls deprives voters of their voice in choosing their elected representatives,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Rohde of the Eastern District of New York. “The settlement in this case restores that voice and ensures that eligible voters will be heard in the future.”