Keeping clean voter rolls is a daily task, not a periodic or random one. As voters move within, into, or out of the county, responsible voters update their voter registration status. There is an ongoing daily process that involves communication to and from other counties regarding voters who have moved into or out of their county with the new county which allows the voter registrar to cancel the registration in the county the voter left. If a voter does not notify us that they have moved from the county and registers in another county, the Secretary of State’s voter registration system (TEAM) determines that a duplicate voter has been submitted and prompts us to work with the other county to verify it is the same person, which would cancel their registration in Denton County. Their new county registration will not become effective until the former county registration is cancelled.

Each odd-numbered year, the county completes a National Change of Address (NCOA) process on our voter registration database. We identify possible changes of address and mail those voters who we believe may have moved a Notice of Address Confirmation. If the notice is not returned to us confirming their address, that person is placed on “Suspense”. (You can also get on suspense if a piece of elections mail – typically a voter registration card – is returned undeliverable/unknown to us). If on November 30, following the second general election for state and county officers that occurs after the date the voter’s name is entered on the suspense list, we cancel the voter’s registration. (Texas Election Code 16.032) This is unofficially referred to as a “purge” even though that term is not in the Texas Election Code. Denton County typically removes in excess of 20,000 voters each time we complete this process.

As of 2020, the State of Texas is a member of the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). Each member state (31 states plus D.C.) receives reports that show voters who have moved within their state, voters who have moved out of state, voters who have died, and duplicate registrations in the same state. Information received from ERIC that is pertinent to a voter registered in Denton County is forwarded to us from the State and we take the appropriate action on their registration.

We are notified of deceased voters from several sources; death records from the County Clerk, the Bureau of Vital Statistics, and from the Social Security Administration (Texas Election Code Section 16.01 and 18.068). We also get death reports from the Tarrant County Coroner’s Office, and occasionally from the family of the deceased. The deceased voter’s registration is cancelled once official notification is received.

One of the requirements for voter registration is to be a U.S. Citizen. Our office receives notices from the District Clerk when persons are excused or disqualified from jury service with a claim of being a non-citizen. If we find that the person is a registered voter, we mail a notice to the registered voter requiring the voter to submit proof of United States citizenship in the form of a certified copy of the voter’s birth certificate, United States passport, or certificate of naturalization or any other form prescribed by the secretary of state.

If a voter fails to submit to the registrar proof of citizenship on or before the 30th day after the date the notice is mailed, the voter’s registration is cancelled.

Additionally, the Secretary of State’s office has an agreement with the Department of Public Safety under which information in the existing statewide computerized voter registration list is compared against information in the database of the Department of Public Safety on a monthly basis to verify the accuracy of citizenship status information. Texas Election Code 16.0332