The Rise of "Voter Roll Cleanups": A Weaponized Crusade Against Democracy
The 2020 election ignited a wave of conspiracy theories alleging widespread voter fraud, despite a lack of evidence. In its wake, a new front in the fight against democratic participation emerged: "voter roll cleanups." This seemingly innocuous term masks a coordinated effort by a network of politically motivated groups to challenge the eligibility of registered voters, often with unfounded claims and questionable tactics.
This article examines the rise of these "voter roll cleanup" efforts, highlighting the tools, tactics, and funding behind them. We will explore the potential for voter intimidation, privacy violations, and the suppression of legitimate voters that these campaigns pose, while also examining the counterarguments and concerns raised by election officials.
The Players and Their Tools
At the forefront of this movement is The Election Integrity Network (EIN), a national organization dedicated to what it calls "election integrity." EIN has actively promoted and facilitated voter roll challenges, advising its state-level affiliates on how to leverage the software EagleAI. This program, designed to automatically identify and flag potential ineligible voters, has been used to create lists that are then manually reviewed and, in some cases, used to conduct door-to-door canvassing. This practice has drawn criticism for its potential to intimidate voters, especially when conducted by individuals associated with political campaigns.
EagleAI, despite its purported purpose, has been riddled with issues. Experts have identified flaws in its algorithms, where minor errors in names, such as missing commas, can lead to the unjustified removal of legitimate voters. Reports of technical issues plague the software, raising significant questions about its reliability and accuracy.
Despite these concerns, at least one county in Georgia has entered a contract with EagleAI for voter roll maintenance, demonstrating the influence and potential reach of this technology.
A Secret Funding Source: The Ziklag Group
Leaked documents revealed a significant funding source behind EagleAI: The Ziklag Group, a secretive organization comprised of wealthy individuals with a distinct Christian nationalist agenda. Internal documentation shows Ziklag’s intention to invest $800,000 into "EagleAI’s clean the rolls project," targeting Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, and Wisconsin with the goal of removing millions of voter registrations. The stated goal is to remove "up to one million ineligible registrations and around 280,000 ineligible voters." This raises concerns about a potential attempt to influence the outcome of future elections by manipulating voter rolls.
Beyond EagleAI: A Network of Groups and Tactics
EIN isn’t alone in its quest to "clean up" voter rolls. It collaborates with several other groups, including VoteRef, an organization run by Gina Swoboda, a former Trump campaign official and current chair of the Republican Party in Arizona. VoteRef has garnered and published voter rolls for over 161 million voters across 31 states, claiming to uncover discrepancies. However, state election officials have dismissed these claims as "fundamentally incorrect," raising significant privacy concerns about the public dissemination of such sensitive data.
Another group associated with EIN is Check My Vote, a website offering access to publicly available voter rolls and highlighting alleged irregularities. The website encourages users to create "walk lists" for door-to-door canvassing, providing templates for filing voter challenges. These tactics raise concerns about the potential for harassment and intimidation, especially in communities where political activism is already fraught with tension.
The Counterarguments and Concerns of Election Officials
Proponents of these "voter roll cleanup" efforts argue that maintaining accurate voter rolls is essential for ensuring fair and credible elections. They point to the existence of dead voters, individuals who may have moved or passed away but remain registered, as evidence of systemic flaws.
However, election officials counter that existing procedures for voter roll maintenance are already effective and legally prescribed. These processes include periodic checks, voter registration updates, and mechanisms for reporting changes of address. Federal laws also protect individuals from being removed from voter rolls without sufficient evidence, preventing arbitrary removals based on speculation.
"These challenges are an attempt to circumvent the list maintenance processes that are carefully prescribed by state and federal law," states Matt Heckel, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of State. This underscores the concerns that these "voter roll cleanups" are not about genuine voter roll maintenance but about suppressing voter participation and influencing election outcomes.
A Threat to Democracy: The Potential Impact of Voter Roll Challenges
The potential impact of these "voter roll cleanup" efforts transcends mere procedural concerns. Brendan Fischer, deputy executive director at Documented, warns that these efforts are designed to erode public faith in elections and potentially disenfranchise voters.
"These groups and the broader election denial movement have been building these structures, building these projects, over the course of many, many months and years, in preparation for this moment," says Fischer. "And the pieces are finally falling into place, where they can begin to file these mass challenges for voter eligibility."
The focus on "voter roll cleanups" masks a broader assault on democratic principles. The reliance on unfounded allegations of widespread voter fraud, the use of questionable tools like EagleAI, and the targeting of specific communities with door-to-door canvassing all contribute to a systematic and calculated effort to suppress voter participation and tilt the playing field in favor of certain political agendas.
This raises questions about the future of American democracy. Will these efforts succeed in undermining public confidence in elections, paving the way for further attacks on voting rights and fair and inclusive electoral processes? The answer will depend on the vigilance of election officials, the commitment of civic organizations, and the informed engagement of the public. A concerted effort is needed to combat the misinformation and intimidation tactics employed by these groups and ensure that every eligible voter has the right and the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.
