Inactive voters to be removed from rolls

Parish voters are being asked to update their addresses in order to be able to vote in the Nov. 6 election.

The Louisiana Secretary of State’s (SOS) office recently released its list of inactive voters. The list for Jeff Davis Parish can be found in the classified section of today’s edition of Jennings Daily News.

According to SOS Deputy Secretary for Communications and Outreach Meg Casper Sunstrom, to ensure that voter residency records are up-to-date, her office completes a canvas annually.

“We canvas every year in an attempt to keep voter rolls up-to-date for people that have died, moved out of state or for those moving into Louisiana from out-ofstate,” she said.

Sunstrom said that voters are given many notices before being removed from voter rolls.

“Part of the process is that we get notifications back from the United States Postal Service or receive death records that an address is no longer an active,” she said. “Once we receive notice indicating that the address is not active, we send notifications to the resident. If those pieces of mail come back undeliverable, we will then send a 21-day challenge and if that comes back undeliverable, then the voter is finally removed from the list.”

A voter can also skip two consecutive federal election cycles and be removed from the list. Sunstrom said even if this happens, the voter could verify their address with the Jeff Davis Registrar of Voters during early voting or on Election Day in order to cast a ballot.

“Now is the best time to check to see if your address is up-to-date,” she said. “If you are on the inactive, it’s because we can’t find you.”

Voters can check their status and update their address anytime online at https://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/Pages/InactiveVoters.aspx,or on the Geaux Vote app on their smartphone. Updates can also be made in person by calling or visiting the Jeff Davis Registrar of Voters Office.

According to SOS’s website, if a voter has not changed their address, they are currently eligible to vote but will be required to confirm a valid address when voting.

“It’s an easy process and we encourage people to get out there and get involved,” she said. “The easiest way is to just got vote and verify your address then.”

The process of removing inactive voters from the state’s voter rolls helps to keep voter registration accurate, and is not meant to exclude anyone from voting.

“Our voter registration totals are pretty consistent statewide,” she said. “Every year we have around 2.9 million registered voters despite voters coming off the list and being added. The totals never really change.”

The deadline according to SOS to register to vote in the Nov. 6 Election in person or by mail is Oct. 9. The deadline to register to vote through the GeauxVote Online Registrations System is Oct. 16. Early voting will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 23-30 (except Sunday, Oct. 28) at the Jeff Davis Parish Registrar of Voters Office located at 302 N. Cutting in Jennings.

“We encourage everyone to get involved and get your address updated with ROV before the upcoming congressional election this fall,” Sunstrom concluded.