Every month, Project Civica analyzes New York’s statewide voter registration list to better understand how voter registration records change over time and how New York administers its voter rolls.
Last month, we examined New York’s process for removing deceased voters and raised an important question:
What happens when a New York voter moves to another state, remains registered in New York, and later dies outside New York?
Before we can answer that question, we first need to understand how New York determines that a voter has moved.
Many people assume their voter registration is automatically canceled when they move. Under federal law, that generally is not how the process works.
About This Analysis
Project Civica independently analyzes New York’s statewide voter registration list using point-in-time snapshots obtained through New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). Because the statewide voter registration database is continually updated, these snapshots preserve the voter rolls as they existed on a particular date, allowing meaningful month-to-month comparisons.
We compare those voter roll snapshots against official voter registration lists from other states, National Change of Address (NCOA) data, government death records, and other publicly available sources.
The findings identify records that warrant review. They do not, by themselves, establish legal violations or improper voting. Rather, they identify questions appropriate for public oversight and explanation by election officials.
July 2026 Statewide Voter Roll Snapshot*
This month’s analysis focuses on the 56,586 apparent out-of-state movers still registered in New York. Federal and New York law do not permit election officials to remove a voter simply because they believe the voter has moved. Understanding the legal process helps explain why some former New York residents may remain on the voter rolls for a period of time and why election officials must follow specific statutory procedures before canceling a registration.
Moving Doesn’t Automatically Cancel Your Registration
Federal law protects voters from being removed simply because election officials believe they have moved. Instead, the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) establishes a voter list maintenance process designed to protect eligible voters while allowing election officials to maintain accurate voter registration records. The process begins only after election officials receive information indicating that a voter may have changed residence. Election administrators commonly refer to this information as a ‘trigger.’
Know the Law
Federal law, through the National Voter Registration Act (52 U.S.C. § 20507), and New York State Election Law (§§ 5-400 and 5-712) do not allow election officials to remove a voter simply because they believe the voter has moved.
Step 1 – A Trigger
The process begins only after the Board of Elections receives reliable information indicating that a voter may have changed residence. Examples include National Change of Address (NCOA) information, returned election mail, information received from authorized government agencies, and other reliable information permitted by law.
New York State Election Law (§ 5-712) governs the confirmation notice process.
Step 2 – Confirmation Notice
The county Board of Elections sends the voter a confirmation notice requesting that the voter verify or update the registration.
Step 3 – Inactive Status
If the voter does not respond, the registration is generally placed into Inactive (”I”) status.
Inactive does not mean canceled. An inactive voter remains registered and remains eligible to vote. If the voter votes or confirms the registration information, the registration may return to Active status.
Step 4 – Cancellation
Under the National Voter Registration Act (52 U.S.C. § 20507) and New York State Election Law (§ 5-400), a voter is not removed simply because a trigger occurs. Only after the voter fails to respond to the confirmation notice and fails to vote through two consecutive federal general elections may the registration become eligible for cancellation and are purged.
When No Trigger Exists
What happens if a voter moves but never files a forwarding address with the U.S. Postal Service? Not everyone files an NCOA request. Some people move without updating government records or otherwise creating reliable information indicating they have changed residence. When no trigger exists, an important policy question arises: How does the Board of Elections become aware that the voter no longer resides in New York?
An Important Policy Question
A voter permanently leaves New York. No trigger is ever generated. The voter remains registered in New York. Years later, the voter dies in another state.
We have not identified a provision in New York State Election Law that specifically addresses how New York receives notice of the death of a registrant who dies after permanently relocating to another state. That does not necessarily mean an administrative process does not exist. It does raise an important transparency question: If New York never identified the move, how does it later learn that the voter has died outside New York?
Project Civica’s Findings
Project Civica’s July 2026 analysis identified approximately 56,586 registrations associated with individuals who appear to have moved out of state but remain registered in New York.
This finding should not be interpreted to mean that every one of these registrations should already have been canceled.
Some individuals may have moved recently. Some may currently be within the NVRA confirmation process. In fact there are 915,233 inactive registrations from our analysis. Some records may require additional review.
Our analysis identifies registrations that warrant examination—not conclusions about individual cases.
Why Does It Matter?
Maintaining accurate voter registration records protects both election integrity and voters’ rights. The NVRA attempts to balance two important objectives: protecting eligible voters from being removed improperly while maintaining accurate voter registration records. Understanding how that process works helps strengthen public confidence in elections.
What You Can Do
• Update your voter registration in NY after establishing residency in your new state.
• File a U.S. Postal Service Change of Address whenever appropriate.
• Keep your registration current.
• Help family members update their voter registration after a permanent move.
• Stay informed about New York’s voter list maintenance process.
Policy Questions
• What information is currently used to trigger New York’s voter list maintenance process?
• What procedures exist when no trigger is generated?
• What percentage of Inactive Status voters later return to Active status?
• If a registrant permanently leaves New York and later dies outside the state, what statutory or administrative process ensures New York receives notice and updates the registration?
Looking Ahead
Next month, we’ll examine duplicate voter registrations—why they occur, how they are identified, and why having more than one registration does not necessarily mean someone voted twice.
Project Civica’s monthly voter roll analysis series is intended to educate the public about election administration, promote transparency, and encourage informed civic engagement through fact-based analysis of publicly available records.
*Data obtained by FOIL from the NYS Board of Elections on July 6, 2026
When making GOTV calls during the Primary election, I spoke to several voters who answered the phone and told me they had moved out of state years ago. It was notated in the app used for phone banking. Would that constitute a "trigger" if reported to BOE? Sometimes people don't want to be bothered with contacting the BOE to update their voter reg, but it would be best for them to do that, it seems.