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| 1.8 million dead listed as active voters in US: study |
| Press Trust of India / Washington Feb 15, 2012, 15:16 IST |
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At least 1.8 million dead people are listed as active voters on electoral rolls in the US, which is scheduled to hold presidential and congressional elections in November, according to a new study.
Not only one of every eight active voter registrations in the US are no longer valid or are significantly inaccurate, and more than 27.5 lakh people have names appearing in more than two state, but also at least 18 lakh dead people are still figure in the electoral list, said the study conducted by the non-partisan Pew Centre.
"Voter registration in the US largely reflects its 19th-century origins and has not kept pace with advancing technology and a mobile society. States' systems must be brought into the 21st century to be more accurate, cost-effective, and efficient," the Washington-based think-tank said in the report entitled 'Inaccurate, Costly and Inefficient'.
Pew Center said its research estimate that at least 51 million eligible US citizens are unregistered, or more than 24% of the eligible population.
"Approximately 24 million -- 1 of every 8 -- active voter registrations in the United States are no longer valid or are significantly inaccurate. More than 1.8 million deceased individuals are listed as active voters. Approximately 2.75 million people have active registrations in more than one state," it said.
Further, about 12 million records have incorrect addresses, meaning either the voters moved, or errors in the information make it unlikely any mailings can reach them.
"Voter registration is the gateway to participating in our democracy, but these antiquated, paper-based systems are plagued with errors and inefficiencies," said David Becker, director of Election Initiatives at the Pew Center on the States.
"These problems waste taxpayer dollars, undermine voter confidence, and fuel partisan disputes over the integrity of our elections," he said.
The study identified approximately 12.7 million records nationwide that appear to be out of date and no longer reflect the voter's current information.
About 12 million records with incorrect addresses, indicating that either the voters have moved, or that errors in the information on file make it unlikely the Postal Service can reach them, it said.
"This study found that almost 2.7 million people appear to be actively registered in two states, and more than 70,000 people could be registered in three or more. In all, more than 2.75 million people appear to have multiple active registrations," it said.
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