CARNAHAN PREVAILS IN DISPUTE OVER VOTER ROLLS

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan made a “reasonable effort” to clear ineligible voters from election rolls and didn’t violate the National Voter Registration Act, a federal judge ruled on April 13. The U.S. Justice Department sued Carnahan in November 2005 claiming local election authorities failed to keep election rolls updated by removing the names of people who had moved or were otherwise ineligible.
U.S. District Court Judge Nanette Laughrey ruled the Justice Department failed to prove inaccurate voter lists resulted in fraud and that Carnahan had taken adequate steps to update the lists. “The Court declines to order the secretary of state to do things which she is already doing voluntarily,” Laughrey wrote in her decision.