Deceased Voter Removal - As part of the Secretary of State’s continuing efforts to improve the QVF Voter List, the Bureau of Elections is moving forward with an initiative to remove deceased voters from the QVF voter list identified by the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Master Death File.

The Bureau has purchased the SSA Master Death File to assist with the cleanup of the QVF voter list.  This list contains all deaths over the past 150 years.  With the SSA Master Death File we were able to conclude that approximately 50,000 active QVF records should be “Cancel-Deceased” records. 

Over the next day, Elections will cancel the 50,000 active QVF records.  For each voter record cancelled, the clerk will receive inbox transactions identifying the records as “Cancel-Deceased SSA.”  Clerks should process registrations for these voters using the same procedures used for other deceased voter records. 

A notice is being sent to the address listed in the QVF for those individuals who have any voting history recorded in the QVF.  This includes any activity recorded on the file, such as voting and changes of address.  The notice informs the reader that the voter registration of the named deceased individual has been cancelled and provides the phone number of a contact at the Bureau of Elections for the recipient to call if the information is inaccurate.

This process will be a positive step to improve the integrity of voter registration information in Michigan.  Going forward, we are subscribing to the SSA’s quarterly release of death notices as a means of supplementing ongoing efforts to remove names of deceased votes from the QVF. 

The initiative to improve the QVF voter list also includes the Voter ID Card Reimbursement program, launched in 2005.  This initiative reimburses clerks for mailing ID cards once cancellation notices are mailed and posted to the QVF for returned ID cards that were required due to changes resulting from consolidated elections.

We appreciate your cooperation.  If you have any questions feel free to contact the QVF Help Desk.