Georgia election officials poised to remove 191,473 voter records

(The Center Square) — Georgia elections officials are poised to remove more than 190,000 voters from the rolls if the voters don’t respond to notices from the state, a move they say is necessary to comply with state and federal law.

Officials said the 191,473 voter records were previously placed on "inactive status" because of returned mail or the National Change of Address list. Officials called the updates "routine and legally required."

The state sent notices to the voters, and anyone who wants to remain on the Peach State’s rolls has 30 days to contact their county voter registration office after receiving the mailed notice to update their details.

"Georgia’s voter rolls are the cleanest in the nation, and list maintenance efforts like this ensures the integrity of our elections," Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in an announcement.

In May 2019, Raffensperger, a Republican, announced Georgia was the 26th state to join the Electronic Registration Information System, a multistate partnership that officials said should help improve the accuracy of state voter registration systems.

Georgia elections officials said they will continue to conduct "list maintenance" this year as they prepare for the 2024 election. According to a news release, officials have canceled 75,676 records because of a death or an out-of-state move.

Elections have been contentious in Georgia, with varied special interest groups attacking the state’s election law, Senate Bill 202, also known as the Election Integrity Act that passed in 2021.