11/18/2009 4:44:00 PM Mail-outs help trim voter rolls
By STEVEN G. WATSON Associate Editor
Madison County election commission officials are urging residents to return mail-outs sent recently hoping to confirm their current status as registered voters.
The mail-outs were sent to 30,000 registered voters in the county who did not vote in the 2008 presidential election in an attempt to clean up the county's voter rolls.
Last year Madison County was one of 24 counties listed by the Secretary of State's Office with more registered voters than eligible voters.
On Monday, commissioners reported to the Board of Supervisors that they had received a total of 5,152 of the mail-outs back.
County Election Commission Chairman Kakey Chaney said they've received 1,271 of the cards back confirming registered voters, while 3,881 cards have been returned because the voter's address has changed and no forwarding address was provided.
"Those are mainly what we've gotten back now," Chaney said. "When they come back, some have notes written on them that say that person is deceased, or this person hasn't lived her in 20 years. Regardless it gives us a place to start searching for them."
Chaney said it's important that residents take time to return the mail-outs even if the current resident isn't listed on the card. She asks that they include any information they may have on the person listed.
"We want them to send them back to help us clear all this up," Chaney said.
The commission will follow up on those returned without a forwarding address, but if they can't be found she said they will be listed as inactive.
Chaney said a voter that is made inactive can still vote in an upcoming election, but would have to file an affidavit ballot and show proof of residency.
If a voter on the inactive list does not vote in the next two federal elections, over the next four years, the voter will then be purged from the rolls.
According to 2008 Census estimates, there are only 65,000 eligible voters in Madison County, but currently the county has more than 77,000 registered voters on the rolls.
Chaney said 46,970 people voted in the 2008 presidential election.
