Court Upholds Michigan's Dead Voter Removal Process

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging Michigan’s process for removing deceased individuals from voter rolls, ruling that the state's 'multi-layered efforts are more than reasonable.' The court acknowledged that Michigan not only meets but exceeds federal standards for maintaining accurate voter registration lists, using multiple sources such as the Social Security Death Index, obituaries, and the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) to identify and remove deceased registrants. State officials, including Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, highlighted that more than 1.4 million registrations have been removed since 2019 and noted Michigan’s ranking as one of the most active states in purging dead voters. Benson emphasized that this court victory helps counteract meritless lawsuits aimed at undermining confidence in Michigan’s elections. The court specifically cited Michigan’s additional measures, such as employing ERIC, as further enhancing the integrity of its voter file maintenance. Overall, the court’s decision affirms the robustness and legality of Michigan’s approach to maintaining updated voter rolls.