april.thompson@wreg.com
And more than 37-hundred of those are from Shelby County.
"I am certainly not alarmed at the number of 3,700 based on where we started. These are names we feel will be removed very quickly." says Bill Giannini, who heads up the Shelby County Election Commission.
He says they are working with the state to get a list of all deceased voters and remove them, but if the family or the state fail to notify election officials of a death, the process takes even longer.
"Four years have to pass. If a voter died in 2004, he would not be removed from the rolls til 2008." says Giannini. He says because Shelby County is the largest county in the state, it's not surprising the number of deceased still on the voting rolls is so high.
But he says they are close to correcting that since everyone knows, the longer dead voters are still registered, the greater the opportunity for problems.
"If a voter is on the roll and someone is aware they are on the rolls and want to commit voter fraud, it's a very easy way to do that." says Giannini. The Election Commission is trying to make it easier for you to help them keep an accurate voters list.
They have put a form on their website that you can use to notify them when your loved one passes away.
They say it's about educating the public and getting everyone's help to keep things up to date.
- Thousands of deceased people still registered to vote in Tennessee and Shelby County
- County Election Commission officials working to clear up the rolls
- Deceased voters on the rolls can lead to fraud
And more than 37-hundred of those are from Shelby County.
"I am certainly not alarmed at the number of 3,700 based on where we started. These are names we feel will be removed very quickly." says Bill Giannini, who heads up the Shelby County Election Commission.
He says they are working with the state to get a list of all deceased voters and remove them, but if the family or the state fail to notify election officials of a death, the process takes even longer.
"Four years have to pass. If a voter died in 2004, he would not be removed from the rolls til 2008." says Giannini. He says because Shelby County is the largest county in the state, it's not surprising the number of deceased still on the voting rolls is so high.
But he says they are close to correcting that since everyone knows, the longer dead voters are still registered, the greater the opportunity for problems.
"If a voter is on the roll and someone is aware they are on the rolls and want to commit voter fraud, it's a very easy way to do that." says Giannini. The Election Commission is trying to make it easier for you to help them keep an accurate voters list.
They have put a form on their website that you can use to notify them when your loved one passes away.
They say it's about educating the public and getting everyone's help to keep things up to date.
