Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/17pdf/16-980_f2q3.pdf
Page Number: 18

Cite as:  584 U. S. ____ (2018) 

15 

Opinion of the Court 

ibid.4  Ohio was one such State.  Its Constitution provided 
that “[a]ny elector who fails to vote in at least one election 
during any period of four consecutive years shall cease to 
be an elector unless he again registers to vote.”  Art. V, §1 
(1977). 
  In addition, our reading prohibits States from using the 
failure to vote as the sole cause for removal on any ground, 
not  just  because  of  a  change  of  residence.    Recall  that 
subsection (d)’s removal process applies only to change-of-
residence  removals  but  that  the  Failure-to-Vote  Clause 
applies  to  all  removals.    Without  the  Failure-to-Vote 
Clause,  therefore,  States  could  use  the  failure  to  vote  as 
conclusive  evidence  of  ineligibility  for  some  reason  other 
than  change  of  residence,  such  as  death,  mental  incapac- 
ity, or a criminal conviction resulting in prolonged impris-
onment. 

D 
  Respondents put forth one additional argument regard-
ing  the  Failure-to-Vote  Clause.    In  essence,  it  boils  down 
to this.  So many properly registered voters simply discard 
return  cards  upon  receipt  that  the  failure  to  send  them 
back  is  worthless  as  evidence  that  the  addressee  has 
moved.    As  respondents’  counsel  put  it  at  argument,  “a 
notice that doesn’t get returned” tells the State “absolutely 
nothing about whether the person has moved.”  Tr. of Oral 
Arg. 41, 58.  According to respondents, when Ohio removes 
registrants for failing to respond to a notice and failing to 
vote, it functionally “removes people solely for non-voting” 
unless  the  State  has  additional  “reliable  evidence”  that  a 
registrant has moved.  Id., at 49, 71. 
  This  argument  is  based  on  a  dubious  empirical  conclu-
—————— 

4 See,  e.g.,  Haw.  Rev.  Stat.  §11–17(a)  (1993);  Idaho  Code  Ann.  §34–
435 (1981); Minn. Stat. §201.171 (1992); Mont. Code Ann. §13–2–401(1) 
(1993); N. J. Stat. Ann. §19:31–5 (West Supp. 1989); Okla. Stat., Tit. 26, 
§4–120.2 (1991); Utah Code §20–2–24(1)(b) (1991).