WASHINGTON - Today, Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland urging the Department of Justice to work with states to remove noncitizens from their voter rolls and not interfere in states' attempts to engage in legitimate voter roll maintenance. 

Excerpts from the letter read:

"... I am concerned that the Department’s nonbinding guidance conveys an aggressive stance toward election officials engaged in routine voter list maintenance, including the removal of ineligible voters. The guidance document appears designed to intimidate, rather than assist, those tasked with ensuring the integrity of our electoral process.This is particularly troubling given the increasing need for vigilance in preventing non-citizens from remaining on, or being added to, voter rolls."

"The Department should be working alongside these States, not hindering them. Instead of raising baseless accusations of discrimination and attacking third-party organizations that provide assistance with voter list maintenance, the Department should be offering its full support to provide States with the resources they need to accurately identify and remove ineligible non-citizen registrants."

"It is important to recognize that the policies of this administration, including the unprecedented surge of illegal immigration resulting from its open-border policy, have exacerbated this issue... The Department’s refusal to acknowledge this reality further undermines confidence in the federal government’s commitment to safeguarding our elections."

"In light of these concerns, I urge the Department to reconsider its current approach. Election officials should be empowered to comply with federal law without fear of undue interference."

"The Department should support these efforts by providing the necessary resources and guidance to help States remove ineligible voters, particularly non-citizens, from the rolls and ensure that only eligible American citizens have the opportunity to vote."

"The Committee will continue its oversight of election administration practices to ensure the law is upheld and the integrity of our elections is protected."

Click here to read the full letter.

Background:

The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) provides voter registration requirements with respect to elections for federal office, including voter list maintenance. The NVRA specifically requires that States must complete any systemic removal of ineligible voters no later than 90 days before a general election for federal office. Nevertheless, States are still permitted to remove ineligible voters on an individualized basis.  
 
However, on September 9, well within the 90-day blackout period, the Department of Justice (DOJ) published guidance regarding how and when jurisdictions may remove voters from their voter lists. It appears this guidance was likely issued to intimidate election officials, specifically in conservative States, that are working to clean their rolls of ineligible voters, particularly noncitizen registrants, prior to the general election. This is especially alarming due to recent reports from States across the country, including Oregon, Ohio, Virigina, and Texas, that have recently found noncitizens on their voter rolls and have worked to remove them.
 
In July, the House passed H.R. 8281, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act to required documentary proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. It also provides States cost-free access to federal databases to clean their voter rolls. This legislation passed the House with bipartisan support in response to the increased reports of States finding noncitizens on their voter rolls.

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