Supreme Court upholds Ohio voter purge

-Source-The Hill- A sharply divided Supreme Court on Monday upheld a controversial voter purge policy in Ohio one of several voting disputes the court is expected to settle in the coming weeks. In a 5-4 decision the court upheld Ohios use it or lose it" policy known as the supplemental process. Under the state policy voters who have not voted in two years are flagged and sent a confirmation notice. Voters who fail to respond to the notice and dont vote within the next two years are removed from the rolls. The process is one of two methods state officials use to identify voters who are no longer eligible to vote due to a change of residence. Critics claimed the policy violates a federal law that bars states from removing people from the voter rolls for failing to vote. But a majority of the high court rejected that argument. The courts five conservative justices led by Justice Samuel Alito voted in the majority with the courts four liberals led by Justice Stephen Breyer dissenting. In delivering the majority opinion Alito said the states process does not violate the National Voter Registration Acts failure-to-vote Clause or any of the laws other provisions. The notice in question here warns recipients that unless they take the simple and easy step of mailing back the preaddressed postage prepaid card or take the equally easy step of updating their information onlinetheir names may be removed from the voting rolls if they do not vote during the next four years" Alito wrote.