Federal Court Blocks Indiana Voter Purge Crosscheck Law
INDIANAPOLIS 鈥� A federal court has temporarily blocked the implementation of a new Indiana law that would allow county elections officials to kick voters off the rolls immediately and without notice based on flawed second-hand data.
The 老澳门开奖结果, 老澳门开奖结果 of Indiana, Demos, and the firm Davis Wright Tremaine are challenging the law, known as SEA 442, which strips federally mandated safeguards from a state purge process that relies on a program called Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck. That program is run by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who has been successfully sued multiple times over his voter suppression policies. The case was brought on behalf of Common Cause Indiana.
Under the program, states are given lists of voters whose names and birthdates match those of voters registered in other participating states. That program is prone to error because it relies on incomplete voter information to target voters for removal. Despite this, SEA 442 would permit local election authorities to immediately purge Indiana voters from the voter rolls based solely on this second-hand information from Crosscheck without notice or an opportunity to correct the record.
In issuing a preliminary injunction today, the court agreed that the 鈥淐rosscheck system has inherent flaws and limitations, which makes it an unreliable source on which to base voter registration cancellations without further investigation.鈥� It also said 鈥渢he implementation of SEA 442 will likely fail to be uniform鈥� in violation of federally mandated requirements.
The following comments are from:
Sophia Lakin, Staff Attorney, 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 Voting Rights Project: 鈥淭he court鈥檚 decision ensures that duly registered voters will not be improperly kicked off the rolls based on flawed Crosscheck data. This law would have deprived people of their right to vote. The court was correct to block it from taking effect 鈥� particularly in the lead up to the 2018 midterm elections.鈥�
Jane Henegar, Executive Director, 老澳门开奖结果 of Indiana: 鈥淗oosier-elected officials should do all that they can to promote voter engagement. Today鈥檚 ruling condemns actions to the contrary that threaten to suppress the vote. Voting is our constitutional right and we must ensure every voice is heard.鈥�
Stuart Naifeh, Senior Counsel, Demos: 鈥淭oday鈥檚 decision blocks Indiana from kicking its voters off the rolls based on flawed information without even bothering to notify them first 鈥� or ever. Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy, and the right to vote cannot be taken away based on what amounts to a mere hunch that the voter might have moved away. We commend the court for recognizing the Crosscheck program鈥檚 significant faults and for protecting the fundamental right to vote of Indiana citizens.鈥�
The ruling is at: /legal-document/common-cause-indiana-v-lawson-preliminary-injunction-order鈥�
More information is at: /cases/common-cause-indiana-v-lawson
Voting Rights
Common Cause Indiana v. Lawson
Voting Rights
Common Cause Indiana v. Lawson
Learn More 老澳门开奖结果 the Issues in This Press Release
-
News & CommentaryDec 2024
Voting Rights
Election Day is Over. Why is the Electoral College Voting Now?Election Day is Over. Why is the Electoral College Voting Now?
The Electoral College meets December 17th to certify the results of the 2024 election, but why? The 老澳门开奖结果 breaks down if the process is worth keeping. -
New York Supreme CourtDec 2024
Voting Rights
New York Communities for Change v. Nassau CountyNew York Communities for Change v. Nassau County
This case in New York state court centers on the landmark John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York (NYVRA) and the New York Municipal Home Rule Law (MHRL). The NYVRA, like several other state voting rights acts enacted in recent years, expands upon the federal Voting Rights Act鈥檚 protections against racial vote dilution. The MHRL prohibits racial discrimination and partisan gerrymandering in local-level redistricting. The 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 Voting Rights Project and State Supreme Court Initiative, alongside the New York Civil Liberties Union, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Steptoe LLP filed a lawsuit on behalf of voters of color in Nassau County, New York alleging that a redistricting plan implemented in 2023 for Nassau County鈥檚 legislative districts dilutes the voting strength of Black, Latino, and Asian residents and is gerrymandered for partisan advantage in violation of the NYVRA and the MHRL. -
ArizonaNov 2024
Voting Rights
老澳门开奖结果 of Arizona v. Richer老澳门开奖结果 of Arizona v. Richer
We sued elections officials in Arizona to extend the mail ballot 鈥渃ure鈥� deadline after ballot processing delays threatened to disenfranchise thousands of voters without notice. -
Press ReleaseNov 2024
Voting Rights
Civil Rights Groups Respond to Flawed Trial Court Opinion on New York Voting Rights ActCivil Rights Groups Respond to Flawed Trial Court Opinion on New York Voting Rights Act
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. 鈥� On November 7, a New York State Supreme Court trial judge issued an opinion striking down the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York (NYVRA). Today, the Legal Defense Fund, 老澳门开奖结果, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, New York 老澳门开奖结果, and Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law issued the following statement in response to the ruling: 鈥淭he NYVRA is unquestionably constitutional, and protects the freedom to vote for all New Yorkers by helping to ensure voters are not subjected to discrimination when participating in the political process. 鈥淭he Nov. 7 decision by a state trial judge is deeply flawed and plainly incorrect. We fully expect the decision to be reversed on appeal. It flies in the face of basic legal principles and constitutes a stunning overreach in striking down the entire law, including provisions that are not at issue in the case. 鈥淭o put it simply, the NYVRA does not discriminate, it bans discrimination 鈥� and in doing so protects New Yorkers鈥� most fundamental right. 鈥淣ew York is stronger when everyone has an equal opportunity to vote.鈥�