Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Illinois Case Concerning States’ Obligations Under the National Voter Registration Act

Today, the Justice Department filed a Statement of Interest in Judicial Watch v. Illinois State Board of Elections, regarding the requirements under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) for states to make reasonable efforts to remove the names of ineligible voters and to make their voter registration list available for public inspection.  The requirement for states to make a “reasonable effort” to clean their voter rolls means that the program should be effective in achieving the goals set out by Congress, and nothing less.

“It is critical to remove ineligible voters from the registration rolls so that elections are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Under the NVRA, states have the responsibility to conduct a robust program of list maintenance. The Department of Justice will vigorously enforce those requirements to ensure compliance.”

More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.