Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/17pdf/16-980_f2q3.pdf
Page Number: 33

6 

HUSTED v. A. PHILIP RANDOLPH INSTITUTE 

BREYER, J., dissenting 

  Subsection  (d)(2)  then  goes  on  to  describe  (in  consider- 
able detail) the “last chance” notice the State must send to 
the  registrant.    In  particular,  the  notice  must  be  sent  by 
forwardable  mail  so  that  the  notice  will  reach  the  regis-
trant  even  if  the  registrant  has  changed  addresses.    It 
must  include  a  postage-prepaid,  preaddressed  “return 
card”  that  the  registrant  may  send  back  to  the  State  to 
confirm  or  correct  the  State’s  record  of  his  or  her  current 
address.    And,  the  notice  must  warn  the  registrant  that 
unless the card is returned, if the registrant does not vote 
in the next two federal elections, then his or her name will 
be removed from the list of eligible voters. 

  In sum, §8 tells States the following: 

* 

  * 

  * 

• 

In  general,  establish  a  removal-from-registration 
program that “makes a reasonable effort” to remove 
voters  who  become  ineligible  because  they  change 
residences. 

•  Do  not  target  registered  voters  for  removal  from 
the  registration  roll  because  they  have  failed  to 
vote.  However, “using the procedures described in 
subsections  (c)  and  (d)  to  remove  an  individual” 
from  the  federal  voter  roll  is  permissible  and  does 
not violate the Failure-to-Vote prohibition. 

•  The procedures described in subsections (c) and (d) 
consist  of  a  two-step  removal  process  in  which  at 
step  1,  the  State  uses  change-of-address  infor-
mation  (which  the  State  may  obtain,  for  instance, 
from  the  Postal  Service)  to  identify  registrants 
whose  addresses  may  have  changed;  and  then  at 
step  2,  the  State  must  use  the  mandatory  “last 
chance”  notice  procedure  described  in  subsection 
(d) to confirm the change of address. 

•  The “last chance” confirmation notice must be sent 
by forwardable mail.  It must also include a postage-