Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/17pdf/16-980_f2q3.pdf
Page Number: 31.0

4 

HUSTED v. A. PHILIP RANDOLPH INSTITUTE 

BREYER, J., dissenting 

the  procedures  described  in  subsections  (c)  and  (d)  to 
remove  an  individual”  from  the  federal  voter  roll  is  per-
missible  and  does  not  violate  the  Failure-to-Vote  Clause.  
See  §8(b)(2)  of  the  National  Voter  Registration  Act,  107 
Stat.  83,  and  as  amended,  116  Stat.  1728,  52  U. S. C. 
§20507(b)(2). 

3 
  Subsection  (c),  which  is  entitled  “Voter  Removal  Pro-
grams,” explains how “[a] State may meet the requirement 
of  subsection  (a)(4).”    §20507(c)(1).    Because  subsection 
(a)(4) itself incorporates all of the relevant requirements of 
subsections  (b),  (c),  and  (d)  within  it,  see  §20507(a)(4), 
subsection (c) sets forth one way a State can comply with 
the  basic  requirements  of  §8  at issue  in  this  case (includ-
ing  subsection  (b)).    A  State’s  removal  program  qualifies 
under  subsection  (c)  if  the  following  two  things  are  true 
about the program: 

  “(A)  change-of-address  information  supplied  by  the 
Postal Service through its licensees is used to identify 
registrants whose addresses may have changed; and 
  “(B) if it appears [that] the registrant has moved to 
a  different  residence  address  not  in  the  same  regis-
trar’s jurisdiction, the registrar uses the notice proce-
dure  described  in  subsection  (d)(2)  to  confirm  the 
change of address.”  §20507(c)(1). 

The upshot is that subsection (c) explains one way a State 
may  comply  with  subsection  (a)’s  Reasonable  Program 
requirement  without  violating  subsection  (b)’s  Failure-to-
Vote prohibition.  It is a roadmap that points to a two-step 
removal process.  At step 1, States first identify registered 
voters  whose  addresses  may  have  changed;  here,  subsec-
tion  (c)  points  to  one  (but  not  the  only)  method  a  State 
may  use  to  do  so.    At  step  2,  subsection  (c)  explains,  
States  must  “confirm  the  change  of  address”  by  using  a 
special  notice  procedure,  which  is  further  described  in