http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/11/23/voting.violations.ap/JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri (AP) -- The Justice Department on Tuesday sued Missouri for alleged voting law violations, claiming that people who have moved or died may still be eligible to vote due to inaccurate and inflated registration rolls.
The lawsuit contends the state is violating a federal law that requires it to make reasonable efforts to remove ineligible voters. The state has wrongly delegated that duty to 116 local election jurisdictions, which are putting forth a shoddy and inconsistent effort, the lawsuit claims.
Some have left the names of dead people on the voter rolls, the Justice Department said. Others have failed to do meaningful reviews of voters rolls for people who have moved. Still others have taken voters off the rolls prematurely, the lawsuit says.
The Associated Press reported in October 2004 that voter registration rolls in numerous Missouri counties exceeded the number of voting-age residents -- a fact cited in the Justice Department lawsuit.