Beatty, Padilla Reintroduce Voter Purge Protection Act to Safeguard Americans’ Right to Vote

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Chair Emerita of the Congressional Black Caucus, and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, reintroduced the bicameral Voter Purge Protection Act to prohibit states from using questionable voter purge tactics that have been employed in Ohio and across the country to take tens of thousands of eligible voters off the voting rolls.

The Voter Purge Protection Act comes after the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently filed lawsuits against eight states, including California, for their refusal to hand over unfettered access to their state's sensitive voter information and registration lists to the federal government. A coalition of public interest organizations recently sued the Trump Administration for its efforts to create massive government databases to purge voter rolls.

This legislation prohibits the removal of individuals from the voter rolls due to changes in residence or not voting in previous elections, unless supported by objective and reliable evidence that the voter has died or moved out of the state, among other protections for registered voters and states administering elections.

"We can't overlook how so-called 'use-it-or-lose-it' voter purges have stripped countless Americans-particularly low-income citizens and people of color-of their voice at the ballot box. Revoking someone's registration simply because they didn't return a mailed notice undermines the very foundation of our democracy, especially when so many of those letters never even reach voters," said Congresswoman Beatty. "Use It or Lose It" is not Democracy. Protecting the people's right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy, and the Voter Purge Protection Act is a critical step toward preventing these harmful and unnecessary purges."

"It should concern every single American, regardless of party, that the President of the United States wants fewer eligible Americans to vote, not more," said Senator Padilla. "As the Trump Administration prepares for widespread voter purges by unlawfully demanding states' entire sensitive voter files and building massive databases to run this voter data through, it's clear that President Trump and his allies are quietly laying the groundwork to cling to power by manipulating who gets to cast a ballot. With our democracy under attack, our bill would prevent unwarranted voter purges, protect voters, and preserve voting rights for both red and blue states, all while allowing for responsible voter roll maintenance."

Last year, the Ohio Capital Journal reported(link is external) an instance in Ohio demonstrating the dire reality of restrictive voter purge practices. Nearly 160,000 people were recently purged from Ohio's voter rolls, with many of them purged due to having not voted at their registered address in the past four years. Ohio civil rights organizations, like the Ohio Organizing Collaborative and the Ohio Conference NAACP have advocated against(link is external) the purge, noting that more than half of Ohio voters who might be purged from the state's voter rolls are registered in counties where a majority of the population is people of color.

The Voter Purge Protection Act reflects Congresswoman Beatty's long-standing commitment to protecting access to the ballot box and strengthening democracy for every American. Together, with Senator Padilla, she remains steadfast in ensuring every eligible voter-no matter their zip code, race, or party-can make their voice heard and their vote count.

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