Voter rolls in many states need attention. Research commissioned by the Pew Center on the States highlights the extent of the challenge:

• Approximately 24 million—one of every eight—voter registrations in the United States are no longer valid or are significantly inaccurate.
• More than 1.8 million deceased individuals are listed as voters.
• Approximately 2.75 million people have registrations in more than one state.”

Many Oregonians complain about getting extra ballots for people who do not live at their address. But if Rep Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis) proposed bill HB 2681 is passed by the 2021 Legislature we will see our voter rolls continue to bloat over the decades to come in unprecedented numbers. HB 2681 allows voters to stay on the voter rolls even if they don’t vote or update their address for any time period.

One of the foundational practices of a good election is clean voter rolls. It is an accurate refection of who may vote in that election. Voters information must be defined and accurate.

According to the Vote by Mail Manual pages 55 There is a form that can be used to challenge a voter. You can report the ballot as having a wrong address. People should assist the county clerks to know that the person no longer lives at the address. This is one way we can all help clean up the voter rolls. We would have fewer ballots sent out to wrong addresses. These extra ballots cost us money to produce and to mail.

We all want every eligible voter to be able to vote. At the same time, every voter needs to take on the responsibility of keeping their own data correct so they can vote. Don’t just throw those extra ballots away that arrive at your home. Return them to your county clerk and tell them that voter does not live at your house.


--Janice Dysinger

Post Date: 2021-05-12 10:11:03