Check voter lists for dead relatives and friends

Why are the names of departed voters kept on an “inactive list” which is vulnerable to abuse? They should be guarded like the Social Security payments to dead persons. Who pays for this? After all, with same-day registration, a falsely removed name can be restored expediently.

Early in 2002, my nephew moved to Fresno, registered to vote, voted and moved to another state at the end of the year. Because his absentee ballots continued to come, I filed a query with the Fresno County Grand Jury on June 29, 2010, which answered “with regard to purging voter roll. The issue was researched by a subcommittee of the grand jury and reported to the entire jury. According to policy and procedures, voters who fail to vote in two consecutive federal general elections are placed in an inactive file. It appears, based upon your letter, your nephew’s non-voting status was not placed in the inactive files.”

Finally, after I had personally contacted Fresno County’s Registrar of Voters, she assured me that my nephew’s name was purged.

Voters should occasionally check the voter lists that the names of long ago-departed relatives and friends have been purged.

This story was originally published October 21, 2016 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Check voter lists for dead relatives and friends."