WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Department of Justice and the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced Oct. 31 that the Board of Elections in the city of New York (NYCBOE) will settle allegations of removing voters from voter registration rolls in violation of Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).
“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.”
According to the Justice Department, NYCBOE dropped about 117,000 voters from voter registration rolls because those voters failed to vote in recent elections. Federal law forbids alleged actions of this nature.
“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.”
The NYCBOE agreed to restore the affected voters to the city's voter registration list.