Statewide Voter Registration File Audits: Very Insightful

By Patrick Colbeck

One of the most important elements of any election fraud investigation is an audit of the statewide voter registration file. Let’s look at what such an audit entails.

Purpose

The purpose of this work package is to ensure as a minimum that all of the voters who cast a vote in the election are eligible to vote.

Records

The following records should be secured in support of this work package as a minimum:

Statewide Voter Registration File

In an Excel compatible format, request a list(s) of all voters who cast these votes in the 2020 General Election that includes the following fields as a minimum:

1. All name fields
2. All address fields
3. Driver’s license or state ID number
4. Last four digits of Social Security number
5. Year of birth
6. Current record status
7. Affirmative documentation of citizenship
8. The title/type of affirmative documentation of citizenship presented
9. Phone number
10. E-mail address or other electronic contact method

For absentee voters, add the following fields to the list above:

1. Application Date
2. Application Source
3. Permanent Absentee (Y/N)
4. Date ballot mailed
5. Date ballot received

In addition to this core data, request all database logs pertinent to the modification of voter records within the statewide voter registration file from at least nine months prior to the election through to present day.  Logs must include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

• The name of each individual who executed an addition, revision, or deletion to the qualified voter file.
• The location from which an individual described in subdivision (a) executed each addition, revision, or deletion to the qualified voter file.
• Whether a transaction was an addition, revision, or deletion to the qualified voter file.
• If a transaction was an addition or revision to the qualified voter file, a detailed description of the records in the qualified voter file that were modified and how these records were modified.

Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

If you reside in a state that is a member of the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), there is additional information that you can request that should yield additional insights as to the integrity of your statewide voter registration data.

Request copies of each of the following data transmittals specified in your state’s agreement with the ERIC:

1. Baseline performance data
2. Performance data for the activity since the submittal of the baseline data

Per agreements with ERIC, the following data has been submitted to them on a regular basis:

1. Number of voter registration applications new to the Member’s jurisdiction submitted by the voter on a paper form

2. Number of new voter registration applications new to the Member’s jurisdiction submitted by the voter electronically

3. Number of updates to a voter’s existing voter registration submitted by the voter on a paper form

4. Number of updates to a voter’s existing voter registration submitted by the voter electronically

5. Number of records reported from ERIC on In-state Movers report who updated through the jurisdiction’s online voter registration system (if available)

6. Election statistics, totals for any federal elections:

• Number of new voters to the Member’s jurisdiction who registered and voted on the same day, where applicable
• Number of updates to a voter’s existing registration submitted on the same day on which they voted, where applicable
• Total number of provisional ballots cast
• Total number of provisional ballots counted
• Total number of provisional ballots uncounted, by reason (if available)

Note: for context, ERIC will use voter turnout data from the United States Elections Project (www.electproject.org)

7. Number of individuals for whom contact was initiated and invited to register as a result of reports received from ERIC within the period

8. Number of individuals for whom contact was initiated and invited to correct their registration as a result of reports received from ERIC within the period

Process

The basic processes for this work package are:

1. Evaluate statewide voter registration file for anomalies

• Check against USPS change of address data
• Check against death records
• Check against census records
• Check for data entry anomalies

2. Evaluate ERIC submittals for anomalies

3. Compare ERIC submittals with statewide voter registration file records

4. Evaluate if list of voters who voted per statewide voter registration database is consistent with the poll book list and the number of votes cast statement of votes.

Report

The key contents of any report produced in this work package are:

1. Number of ineligible voters who voted organized by reason for ineligibility
2. Number of voters (ineligible, eligible) added by user account, organization
3. Number of voters (ineligible, eligible) who registered on election day

CONCLUSION

When election officials are asked the basic question, “what would you define as evidence of election fraud?” their response is typically “proof of illegal votes being cast”. An audit of the statewide voter registration database would yield such evidence.