Mississippi used unverified Experian data to mark about 50,000 voters inactive, analysis finds
Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson’s office used unverified credit data from Experian to flag about 50,000 registered voters as inactive after a statewide rollout in July, according to an analysis by Mississippi Today.
The approach relies on Experian’s TrueTrace product, which links possible addresses to consumers based on spending activity. Experian told the U.S. Election Assistance Commission that TrueTrace may identify a place “where the consumer is most likely to be reached” but that the company does not verify residency, the analysis said. Experian declined an interview and provided an emailed statement that decisions about voter records are made by election officials.
Election officials and voting-rights groups say the method departs from the verified government data most states historically use and could lead to wrongful inactivations. State law allows county election commissioners to mark voters inactive without first asking them to verify their addresses, and Mississippi Today reported that some voters who still live at their registered addresses have contacted a One Voice election-protection hotline after being marked inactive. Pastor Frank Hall of Greenville said he learned from a Washington County election commission flyer that more than 2,000 county voters had been made inactive; he told Mississippi Today he felt his rights were being violated.
The secretary of state’s office declined an on-the-record interview but said in an emailed statement that it does not have direct oversight of county election commissioners and encourages local officials to review all relevant information before changing a voter’s status. Watson, a Republican, said at a recent forum that the partnership with Experian would preserve “election integrity” and bring “a new level of reliable data,” according to the secretary of state’s office. Press releases announcing the partnership provided few details about how the office ensured the information’s reliability, Mississippi Today reported.
Local election officials and advocates warned the unverified system could be especially problematic in border areas where consumer activity occurs out of state, which may cause Experian’s data to flag a nonresident address. Nsombi Lambright, executive director of One Voice, said the move risks making it harder for people to access the ballot box. Under state law, voters marked inactive who do not vote in the next two general elections risk removal from the rolls, Mississippi Today noted.
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