Yes.
In Arizona and other states across the nation, it is possible for counties to have more registered voters than eligible voters. This can be the result of voters who move and do not update their registration or voters who die and have not yet been removed from voter rolls.
Between the 2020 and 2024 general elections, Arizona election officials removed or deactivated around 1.7 million people from the state’s voter rolls through routine list maintenance. The procedures keep voter lists accurate, particularly as voters move, become ineligible to vote or die.
Once a voter has been designated as inactive, which happens when county recorders are unable to verify their address, they remain on the voter list for two federal election cycles, or four years, before they can be removed. Around 700,000 Arizona voters were listed as ineligible ahead of the 2024 General Election.
This fact brief responds to conversations such as this one.
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
Sources
- Arizona Secretary of State, Canceling Voter Registration
- Arizona State Legislature, 16-165. Causes for cancellation; report
- Arizona State Legislature, 16-166. Verification of registration
- National Conference of State Legislatures, Voter Registration List Maintenance
- U.S. Election Assistance Commission, Voter Registration Cancellations
- Protect Democracy, AZ Voter Roll Report 2024
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is partnering with Gigafact to produce timely fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
