Monday, September 11, marked the completion of Georgia's biannual cancellation of inactive voter registrations, which resulted in the removal of roughly 189,000 names from the state's voter records in advance of the presidential election in 2024.
About 2,700 Georgia residents have revised their registration information or reacted to notice letters since July, resulting in a lower final cancellation count than was first reported. The original plan called for the cancellation of about 191,000 registrations.
People wait in line to cast their ballot during the Midterm Elections at Fox Theatre on November 08, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia.
A total of 188,802 Canceled Registrations
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, voters whose registrations have been canceled have apparently left the state of Georgia in the last several years, as shown by the filing of a change of address form or the return of mail marked as undeliverable.
Around 2% of the state's registered voters have had their registrations canceled, totaling 188,802 people. In Georgia, there are presently less than 7.9 million people on the state's voter rolls.
These cancellations, according to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, help make Georgia "No. 1 for election integrity." He added that the list maintenance work is only one more part of their comprehensive plan to keep the voter lists the most up-to-date and accurate in the country.
When it comes to maintaining accurate voter lists, Georgia routinely purges thousands of inactive voters every other year.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said inactive voter lists have been steadily cleared by election authorities, leading to a decline in the number of registrations being canceled in recent years. Georgia erased a record 534,000 outdated registrations all at once in 2017 due to a buildup over the years.
Groups advocating for voters' rights have voiced concerns that these cancellations, which they refer to as "purges," might result in the disqualification of eligible voters who have not changed their address.
The list of canceled registrations was made public by the secretary of state's office, and it revealed that of the 189,000 registrations, 55% were inactive because the US Postal Service was unable to send election mail to their address. The other 45% had become inactive after submitting a change of address form.
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'Use It or Lose It'
Georgia's "use it or lose it" statute, which cancels registrations of persons who have not participated in elections for numerous years, almost completely avoided canceling any registrations this year. Cancellations of "use it or lose it" policies were postponed until 2025 due to litigation and legislative amendments at the state level.
For the purposes of Georgia law, a voter is considered inactive if it has been five years since they have either not voted or contacted election authorities. If a person fails to vote in any of the subsequent two general elections, their registration will be canceled.
Anyone who was previously registered to vote in Georgia but whose registration has since been terminated may re-register to vote in time for the next elections.
Voters in Georgia may go to mvp.sos.ga.gov to double-check their registration status.
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