Bill Summary
The "Voter Purge Protection Act" amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to enhance protections against the removal of eligible voters from state voter rolls. Key provisions include:
1. **Verification Requirement**: States are prohibited from removing a voter's name from the official list unless there is objective and reliable evidence confirming that the voter is ineligible to vote in federal elections.
2. **Prohibited Factors**: Certain criteria cannot be used as valid evidence for removal, such as a voter's failure to vote in previous elections or failure to respond to notices, unless those notices are returned as undeliverable.
3. **Notification**: States must notify individuals who are removed from the voter list within 48 hours, outlining the reasons for removal and providing information on how to contest the decision. Exceptions apply for those who confirm their ineligibility or are deceased.
4. **Public Awareness**: States are also required to publicly announce any general programs aimed at removing ineligible voters, ensuring that voters can check their registration status.
5. **Effective Date**: The amendments take effect immediately upon enactment.
Overall, the legislation aims to safeguard voter registration and ensure that eligible voters are not wrongly removed from voting lists.
Possible Impacts
The "Voter Purge Protection Act" can affect people in several significant ways. Here are three examples:
1. **Increased Voter Security**: By establishing stricter criteria for removing individuals from voter registration lists, the legislation aims to protect eligible voters from being wrongly disenfranchised. This means that individuals who may not have voted in recent elections or who didn’t respond to notices will not be removed simply based on those factors. As a result, eligible voters can maintain their right to participate in elections without fear of arbitrary removal.
2. **Enhanced Notification and Contestation Rights**: The requirement for states to notify individuals within 48 hours of their removal from the voter list ensures that people are aware of their status and can contest the decision if they believe it to be incorrect. This transparency empowers individuals and gives them the opportunity to rectify any issues before election day, thereby ensuring that more eligible voters can effectively exercise their right to vote.
3. **Public Awareness and Accessibility**: The mandate for states to disseminate public notices about voter list maintenance helps to inform the general public about the processes in place and encourages individuals to check their registration status. This aspect of the legislation is particularly beneficial for voters with disabilities, as it includes provisions for accessibility in the notice formats. Consequently, this can lead to higher engagement among various demographics and ensure that all eligible voters, regardless of their circumstances, have the information they need to participate in the electoral process.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5707 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5707
To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit a
State from removing the name of any registrant from the official list
of voters eligible to vote in elections for Federal office in the State
unless the State verifies, on the basis of objective and reliable
evidence, that the registrant is ineligible to vote in such elections.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 8, 2025
Mrs. Beatty (for herself, Ms. Brown, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Norton, Mr.
Fields, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Titus, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Goldman of
New York, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Lois Frankel of
Florida, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Larson of
Connecticut, Mrs. McIver, Mr. Veasey, Mr. Kennedy of New York, Ms.
DeGette, Ms. Sewell, and Mr. Carson) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on House Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit a
State from removing the name of any registrant from the official list
of voters eligible to vote in elections for Federal office in the State
unless the State verifies, on the basis of objective and reliable
evidence, that the registrant is ineligible to vote in such elections.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Voter Purge Protection Act''.
SEC. 2. CONDITIONS FOR REMOVAL OF VOTERS FROM LIST OF REGISTERED
VOTERS.
(a) Conditions Described.--The National Voter Registration Act of
1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 8
the following new section:
``SEC. 8A. CONDITIONS FOR REMOVAL OF VOTERS FROM OFFICIAL LIST OF
REGISTERED VOTERS.
``(a) Verification on Basis of Objective and Reliable Evidence of
Ineligibility.--
``(1) Requiring verification.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Act, a State may not remove the name of any
registrant from the official list of voters eligible to vote in
elections for Federal office in the State unless the State
verifies, on the basis of objective and reliable evidence, that
the registrant is ineligible to vote in such elections.
``(2) Factors not considered as objective and reliable
evidence of ineligibility.--For purposes of paragraph (1), the
following factors, or any combination thereof, shall not be
treated as objective and reliable evidence of a registrant's
ineligibility to vote:
``(A) The failure of the registrant to vote in any
election.
``(B) The failure of the registrant to respond to
any notice sent under section 8(d), unless the notice
has been returned as undeliverable.
``(C) The failure of the registrant to take any
other action with respect to voting in any election or
with respect to the registrant's status as a
registrant.
``(b) Notice After Removal.--
``(1) Notice to individual removed.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 48 hours after a
State removes the name of a registrant from the
official list of eligible voters for any reason, the
State shall send notice of the removal to the former
registrant, and shall include in the notice the grounds
for the removal and information on how the former
registrant may contest the removal or be reinstated,
including a telephone number for the appropriate
election official.
``(B) Exceptions.--Subparagraph (A) does not apply
in the case of a registrant--
``(i) who sends written confirmation to the
State that the registrant is no longer eligible
to vote in the registrar's jurisdiction in
which the registrant was registered; or
``(ii) who is removed from the official
list of eligible voters by reason of the death
of the registrant.
``(2) Public notice.--Not later than 48 hours after
conducting any general program to remove the names of
ineligible voters from the official list of eligible voters (as
described in section 8(a)(4)), the State shall disseminate a
public notice through such methods as may be reasonable to
reach the general public (including by publishing the notice in
a newspaper of wide circulation or posting the notice on the
websites of the appropriate election officials) that list
maintenance is taking place and that registrants should check
their registration status to ensure no errors or mistakes have
been made. The State shall ensure that the public notice
disseminated under this paragraph is in a format that is
reasonably convenient and accessible to voters with
disabilities, including voters who have low vision or are
blind.''.
(b) Conditions for Transmission of Notices of Removal.--Section
8(d) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20507(d)) is amended by adding at the end
the following new paragraph:
``(4) A State may not transmit a notice to a registrant
under this subsection unless the State obtains objective and
reliable evidence (in accordance with the standards for such
evidence which are described in section 8A(a)(2)) that the
registrant has changed residence to a place outside the
registrar's jurisdiction in which the registrant is
registered.''.
(c) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) National voter registration act of 1993.--Section 8(a)
of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20507(a)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking ``provide'' and
inserting ``subject to section 8A, provide''; and
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking ``conduct'' and
inserting ``subject to section 8A, conduct''.
(2) Help america vote act of 2002.--Section 303(a)(4)(A) of
the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21083(a)(4)(A)) is
amended by striking ``, registrants'' and inserting ``, and
subject to section 8A of such Act, registrants''.
(d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
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