CLC sent letters to state officials across the country informing them that their voter registration forms were not up-to-date and did not accurately explain voter eligibility.
Back to topTennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett agreed to update the state’s website to correct inaccurate information about voter registration laws for citizens with past felony convictions. Tennessee’s actions come after over six months of pressure from Campaign Legal Center (CLC).
Tennessee has agreed to do three things:
What is the NVRA and where are states falling short?
The purpose of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) is to ease the voter registration process, a goal as relevant today as when it passed in 1993. The NVRA requires states to inform residents of voter eligibility requirements and make sure their forms are up to date.
State compliance with this important law enhances participation in our democracy. It is the responsibility of each state to inform the Election Assistance Commission about changes in the law so the federal instructions can be updated. However, the information available to people with past convictions to determine their eligibility in some states are virtually nonexistent. In other states, the information on registration forms and other resources are simply wrong.
We cannot afford to have a voter registration system that fails to inform every eligible American of her right to vote.
