Trump allies versus dirty voter rolls

Written by Erin Spellman

What’s happening: A large network of conservative grassroots activists is challenging thousands of voter registrations across key battleground states which may impact a close election.

Dirty voter rolls: Inaccurate voter rolls are obstacles to safe, secure elections. Outdated and inaccurate voter registries can include names of individuals who no longer reside at an address, illustrating vulnerabilities in our election system.

Why it matters: Many races are decided by a margin of less than one percent, making each and every vote important. Election integrity is a key issue for the GOP, and these conservative activists are dedicated to cleaning voter rolls to ensure fair, legitimate elections.

Leading the charge: Relying on new data programs and legal arguments, an expansive web of grassroots organizations, such as True the Vote and Election Integrity Network — led by former Trump lawyer Cleta Mitchell — reveal flaws in voter rolls in order to pressure local officials to take action.

• However: Evidence presented by the activists is not sufficient cause to remove a voter from the rolls. A state's election department must conduct its own investigation.

The left reacts: Claiming that evidence collected by activists is “baseless,” election officials believe that preventing accidental disenfranchisement of voters outweighs the need to clean up voter rolls.

• But: Trump ally Cleta Mitchell refutes these claims, arguing that the “only persons ‘disenfranchised’ by following the law are the illegal voters, whose illegal registrations suppress and dilute the votes of those who are lawfully registered.”