Supreme Court to Hear Argument Concerning Voter Roll Purges in Ohio

On January 10, the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the landmark voting rights case Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute—a challenge to Ohio’s voter roll purges.

In Husted v. Randolph Institute, the Supreme Court is considering whether Ohio’s practice of purging voters who are registered to vote in federal elections from voter rolls based on a registrant’s failure to vote violates the National Voting Rights Act (NVRA).

In Ohio, a registered voter will receive a confirmation notice from the state if he or she fails to vote within a two-year period. If the voter fails to respond to the notice and then does not vote within the next four years, Ohio will nullify that person’s voter registration and require that he or she register again. In 2016, the A. Phillip Randolph Institute filed suit in U.S. District Court, claiming that this practice violates the NVRA, which prohibits states from removing “any person from the official list of voters registered to vote in an election for Federal office by reason of the person’s failure to vote.” The district court upheld Ohio’s voter purge. On appeal, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed the district court’s decision. Ohio asked the Supreme Court to hear the case, and it agreed to do so.

Read more about this at the Constitutional Accountability Center

More information and News:

Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute -- SCOTUS BLOG

Americans for Progress "Rally to Protect the Vote and End Voter Roll Purges at U.S. Supreme Court"