More than 150 DWT lawyers and paralegals raised their hands in the spring of 2017 to participate in a nationwide investigation of state and county compliance with the National Voter Registration Act.
Spearheaded by Portland partner Bob Newell in collaboration with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the project launched with public records requests in many states, seeking information about any purges of voter registration rolls, what criteria were applied, and how many people were affected.
DWT is also assisting with related litigation. The first suit was filed in Indiana and challenges a state law that allows purging of voters, without notice or a waiting period, based on a match in the Crosscheck program, which is known to frequently and incorrectly flag people as potential double voters, especially those with unusual or ethnic names. The law was scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2018, but in June a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction, blocking enforcement. A large DWT team led by Matt Jedreski is working closely with the ACLU, Common Cause, and Demos on the case.
The project continues across multiple states.