The Trump administration is trying to force states to turn over their voter rolls. Many have assumed his efforts are related to the midterm elections and the president’s desperation to avoid becoming a lame duck president, but the real intent is much more long-lasting and sinister.
The Brennan Center reported on a confidential memorandum of understanding the administration sent to states showing that the administration wants the voter rolls so it can pressure states to conduct a national voter purge.
Via: The Brennan Center:
The agreement explains that the DOJ plans to conduct its own analysis of states’ voter files and then instruct states to remove specific voters, which the federal government has never done before. This would upend the American system of election administration. It is the states, not the federal government, that have the legal authority—not to mention the expertise—to add and remove voters from the voter rolls. States also have procedures in place to prevent eligible voters from being improperly removed.
Still, the agreement stipulates that the DOJ will “test, analyze, and assess the states” [voter rolls]and send each participating state a list of electors to be removed within 45 days.
If states were to follow through on this request, they would be violating several federal voter laws. So far, only red states like Alaska and Texas have turned over their voter files, while other red states like Tennessee and South Dakota have declined. All blue states and swing states have declined.
The Trump administration has sued states in an effort to obtain their voter rolls, and on Tuesday they were dealt a major blow in Michigan.
