15-page document of Voter List Maintenance best practices from EAC.gov.
U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is a 15-page document of best practices in Voter List Maintenance.
Introduction:
All states, except North Dakota, require citizens to register with a state or local elections office prior to participating in certain election related activities, such as signing candidate petitions or voting. Election officials must accomplish two primary activities related to voter registration: adding individuals to the voter registration list who are eligible to vote and maintaining the accuracy of the list. The process of updating voter registration databases and removing ineligible voters is referred to as list maintenance.
The primary federal law governing voter registration in the United States is the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which became effective after the 1994 general election.1 The NVRA requires states to conduct general list maintenance and establishes a process for states to keep voter registration lists accurate. List maintenance programs must be uniform, non-discriminatory, and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act. States have discretion in how they manage their ongoing, reasonable list maintenance programs, but some procedures, such as removal from the voter list, are outlined in the NVRA.
