Voter Integrity Project NC, Inc. v. Wake County Board of Elections
Filing
37
ORDER denying 27 Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim and denying 14 Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim. Signed by Senior Judge W. Earl Britt on 2/21/2017. (Marsh, K)
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA
WESTERN DIVISION
NO: 5:16-CV-683-BR
VOTER INTERGRITY PROJECT NC, INC.,
Plaintiff,
v.
WAKE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS,
Defendant,
and
JENNIFER MORRIS, EDWARD JONES, and
SIOBHAN MILLEN,
DefendantIntervenors.
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ORDER
This matter is before the court on the motions to dismiss of defendant Wake County
Board of Elections (“WCBOE”) and defendant-intervenors Jennifer Morris, Edward Jones, and
Siobhan Millen. (DE ## 14, 27.) Plaintiff Voter Integrity Project NC, Inc. (“VIP-NC”) has
filed responses in opposition to the motions. (DE ## 19, 30.) Defendant-intervenors filed a
reply. (DE # 33.) This matter is therefore ripe for disposition.
I. BACKGROUND
VIP-NC is an organization which “has dedicated significant time and resources to ensure
that voter rolls in the state of North Carolina, and in Wake County, are free from ineligible
registrants, non-citizens, individuals who are no longer residents and individuals who are
registered in more than one location.” (Compl., DE # 1, ¶ 3.) On 18 July 2016, it filed this
action alleging that WCBOE has violated Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act of
1993 (“NVRA”), 52 U.S.C. § 20507, and seeks declaratory and injunctive relief and attorney’s
fees.
On 10 August 2016, WCBOE filed its answer, (DE # 13), and motion to dismiss the
complaint for failure to state a claim for relief pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure
12(b)(6). On 3 October 2016, defendant-intervenors, three individuals who are actively engaged
in voter registration and related work, filed a motion to intervene. (DE # 22.) On 1 December
2016, the court allowed that motion. (DE # 26.) The following day, defendant-intervenors
filed their motion to dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6).
II. DISCUSSION
Both motions to dismiss are filed pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6).1
In a Rule 12(b)(6) context, the reviewing court must determine whether
the complaint alleges sufficient facts “to raise a right to relief above the
speculative level” and “to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.”
This directive ordinarily limits a court's review to the “well-pled facts in the
complaint[, which it must view] in the light most favorable to the plaintiff.”
While no absolute bar exists, a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6) does not
typically resolve the applicability of defenses to a well-pled claim.
Goldfarb v. Mayor & City Council of Baltimore, 791 F.3d 500, 508 (4th Cir. 2015) (citations
omitted) (alteration in original). With this standard in mind, the court will consider VIP-NC’s
NVRA claims.
The NVRA reflects the view of Congress that the right to vote “is a
fundamental right,” that government has a duty to “promote the exercise of that
right,” and that discriminatory and unfair registration laws can have a “damaging
effect on voter participation” and “disproportionately harm voter participation by
various groups, including racial minorities.” Congress enacted the NVRA in
order to “increase the number of eligible citizens who register to vote” in federal
elections, “enhance[ ] the participation of eligible citizens as voters,” “protect the
integrity of the electoral process,” and “ensure that accurate and current voter
1
Because WCBOE filed its answer with its motion to dismiss, its motion technically is one for judgment on the
pleadings under Rule 12(c). See Burbach Broad. Co. of Del. v. Elkins Radio Corp., 278 F.3d 401, 405 (4th Cir.
2002). “However, the distinction is one without a difference,” as the court applies the same standard as Rule
12(b)(6) motions. Id. at 406.
2
registration rolls are maintained.”
Project Vote/Voting for Am., Inc. v. Long, 682 F.3d 331, 334 (4th Cir. 2012) (citing 42 U.S.C. §
1973gg (now codified at 52 U.S.C. § 20501)) (alteration in original). Section 8 of the Act,
which is at issue here, imposes various duties and obligations regarding voter registration. The
NVRA provides a private right of action to “[a] person who is aggrieved by a violation of [the
NVRA].” 52 U.S.C. § 20510(b)(1). The aggrieved party must first provide “written notice of
the violation to the chief election official of the State involved,” id., unless “the violation
occurred within 30 days before the date of an election for Federal office,” id. § 20510(b)(3). “If
the violation is not corrected within 90 days after receipt of a notice . . ., or within 20 days after
receipt of the notice if the violation occurred within 120 days before the date of an election for
Federal office,” the aggrieved person may file a suit. Id. § 20510(b)(2).
VIP-NC alleges WCBOE violated Section 8 of the NVRA. In Count I, VIP-NC asserts
that WCBOE has failed to make a reasonable effort to conduct voter list maintenance under §
20507(a)(4).2 In Count II, it asserts that WCBOE has failed to respond to VIP-NC’s written
requests for data and failed to provide records in accordance with § 20507(i).
WCBOE initially argues that because the mandates of the NVRA are directed to states, it,
as a local government unit, is not a proper party. WCBOE is correct that the particular
subsections at issue are phrased in terms of state obligations. “[E]ach State” is required, “[i]n
the administration of voter registration for elections for Federal office, . . . [to] conduct a general
2
VIP-NC also claims WCBOE violated a provision of the Help America Vote Act (“HAVA”), 52 U.S.C. §
21083(a)(2)(A), which requires the appropriate state or local election official to perform regular voter list
maintenance. (Compl., DE # 1, ¶ 30.) It recognizes that the HAVA does not provide a private right of action but
contends that the provision is relevant to determining “whether the Defendant has a ‘reasonable’ program for voter
list maintenance.” (Resp. Opp’n WCBOE Mot. Dismiss, DE # 19, at 6 n.3.)
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program that makes a reasonable effort to remove the names of ineligible voters from the official
lists of eligible voters by reason of—(A) the death of the registrant; or (B) a change in the
residence of the registrant . . . .”). 52 U.S.C. § 20507(a)(4). “Each State” must also “maintain
for at least 2 years and shall make available for public inspection . . . all records concerning the
implementation of programs and activities conducted for the purpose of ensuring the accuracy
and currency of official lists of eligible voters . . . .” Id. § 20507(i)(1). However, the NVRA
also contemplates local government involvement in carrying out the State’s obligations. See 52
U.S.C. § 20501(a)(2) (finding “it is the duty of the Federal, State, and local governments to
promote the exercise of that right” to vote), (b)(2) (recognizing one of the purposes of the NVRA
is “to make it possible for Federal, State, and local governments to implement this chapter in a
manner that enhances the participation of eligible citizens as voters in elections for Federal
office”).
In North Carolina, the State Board of Elections (“SBOE”) is charged with adopting a
program to comply with the NVRA’s list maintenance requirement. See N.C. Gen. Stat. § 16382.14(a). However, North Carolina law also designates local county boards of elections as the
entities directly responsible for performing list maintenance in accordance with that program.
See id. § 163-82.14(a) (“Each county board of elections shall conduct systematic efforts to
remove names from its list of registered voters in accordance with this section and with the
program adopted by the State Board.”). Pertinent here, each county board of elections is
required to remove from its voter registration records any person who is listed as deceased on a
monthly report from SBOE, id. § 163-82.14(b); to “conduct a systematic program to remove
from its list of registered voters those who have moved out of the county, and to update the
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registration records of persons who have moved within the county, id. § 163-82.14(d); and to
remove a person from its list who has moved after following statutorily mandated procedures, id.
Based on WCBOE’s explicit list maintenance obligations, the court concludes that WCBOE is a
proper party. See Bellitto v. Snipes, No. 16-cv-61474-BLOOM/Valle, 2016 WL 6248602, at
*3-5 (S.D. Fla. Oct. 26, 2016) (denying motion to dismiss NVRA Section 8 claims against the
defendant local election official where the plaintiffs had not sued the Secretary of State or the
State of Florida and recognizing that because the local election official has obligations under the
NVRA based on state law, the plaintiffs may bring an action against her for her alleged failure to
meet those obligations); Am. Civil Rights Union v. Martinez-Rivera, 166 F. Supp. 3d 779, 79193 (W.D. Tex. 2015) (rejecting the defendant county tax assessor-collector’s argument for
dismissal of NVRA Section 8 claim because the plaintiff had not sued the Texas Secretary of
State).
The decision of Harkless v. Brunner, 545 F.3d 445 (6th Cir. 2008), on which WCBOE
relies, does not support a different result. There, the plaintiffs sued Ohio’s Secretary of State
and the Director of Ohio’s Department of Job and Family Services (“DJFS”) for failure to
comply with Section 7 of the NVRA.3 The Eighth Circuit considered “whether states should be
held responsible for implementing the requirements of Section 7 of the NVRA.” Harkless, 545
F.3d at 449. The Secretary of State argued she should not be held responsible for any NVRA
violations. Specifically, she claimed her only duty was to coordinate the state’s responsibilities
under the Act, “[a]nd, because Ohio chose to implement its requirements through the county
3
In the context of Harkless, Section 7 requires that “any time a person enters a DJFS office to receive food stamps,
Medicaid assistance, welfare, or disability benefits assistance, that person should receive a voter registration form
for federal elections and assistance in filling out the form.” 545 F.3d at 450.
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departments and to make local officials responsible, those local officials, not the Secretary, are
the proper parties to this lawsuit.” Id. at 451. The court concluded that the state could not
abdicate its responsibility under the NVRA through delegation to local officials and that the
Secretary specifically was responsible for implementation and enforcement of Section 7. Id. at
452-53. Accordingly, the court held the Secretary, as the designated chief election official, was
a proper party. Id. at 455.
The Harkless court went on to consider whether the Director of DJFS, a state agency,
could also be liable under the NVRA. A portion of its analysis bears repeating:
Because Ohio law authorizes the statewide DJFS (and thus the
Director) to ensure compliance with Section 7 of the NVRA, the Director
relies on the following curious proposition: because local authorities have
the independent responsibility to comply with the NVRA, the Director
should not be held accountable. True, the Ohio General Assembly has
tasked the county offices with implementing the NVRA; but, as previously
explained, the General Assembly also tasked the Director with the power
to enforce any county transgressions of federal law. This is not an eitheror proposition. The fact that some states, like Ohio, delegate the
administration of public assistance programs to counties or municipalities
should not mean that those states are free of all statutory obligations.
Id. at 457 (citations omitted) (emphasis added). The court held that the Director was also a
proper party based on her responsibilities for meeting the requirements of the NVRA distinct
from the Secretary of State’s responsibilities. See id. at 456-57, 458. Contrary to WCBOE’s
suggestion, the court did not hold that the state (or a state official) is the (only) proper party in a
NVRA action.
WCBOE next appears to argue that VIP-NC’s letter to WCBOE dated 2 June 2016 did
not comply with the notice provision of § 20510(b) before filing suit. By that letter, VIP-NC
notified WCBOE that WCBOE was apparently in violation of Section 8 of the NVRA by failing
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to conduct a reasonable effort to remove ineligible voters from its rolls and identified the basis
for this belief: the “county has significantly more voters on the registration rolls than it has
eligible living citizen voters.” (Compl., Ex. A.) VIP-NC also requested that WCBOE make
available for public inspection records under § 20507(i). The letter states, among other things,
that it serves as the statutory notice required by § 20510(b) and that if the county did not fully
comply with Section 8, VIP-NC may file suit under the NVRA within 20 days after receipt.
(Id.) The Executive Director of SBOE was copied on the letter.4
In National Council of La Raza v. Cegavske, 800 F.3d 1032, 1035 (9th Cir. 2015), the
court summarized the notice requirements of § 20510(b) as follows.
Whether the aggrieved person is required to give notice and how long the person
must wait to file suit after giving notice depends on the timing of the next federal
election. When the violation upon which a suit is based occurs a substantial time
before the next federal election, the aggrieved person must notify the state of the
alleged violation and must then wait 90 days before filing suit. [52 U.S.C.] §
20510(b)(1)-(2). However, “if the violation occurred within 120 days” of a federal
election, the aggrieved person must wait only 20 days after notifying the state
before bringing suit. Id. § 20510(b)(2). “If the violation occurred within 30 days”
of a federal election, the aggrieved person does not need to give any notice before
bringing suit. Id. § 20510(b)(3).
Furthermore,
A plaintiff can satisfy the NVRA's notice provision by plausibly alleging that a
ongoing, systematic violation is occurring at the time the notice is sent or, if no
notice is sent, when the complaint is filed within 30 days of a federal election.
Neither the notice nor the complaint needs to specify that the violation has been
actually observed, and that there is thus a “discrete violation,” during the 120–day
or 30–day period. It is enough that the notice letter and the complaint plausibly
allege the existence of an ongoing violation within the appropriate time period,
whether or not it was “discrete” during the period.
4
When notice of the violation is required, the NVRA obligates the aggrieved party to provide the notice to the state
chief election official. See 52 U.S.C. § 20510(b)(1), (3). In North Carolina, the Executive Director of SBOE is
designated as the chief election official for purposes of the NVRA. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-82.2. Therefore, having
provided the Executive Director with a copy of the 2 June 2016 letter, VIP-NC satisfied its obligation to provide
written notice of the violation to the chief election official.
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Id. at 1044 (citations omitted).
Here, WCBOE emphasizes that “plaintiff’s lawsuit was initiated forty-six (46) days after
the date of the letter” and “the letter was dated five (5) days before the June 7, 2016 North
Carolina Congressional Primary.” (Mem., DE # 15, at 9 (footnote omitted).) WCBOE then
argues that “the ‘violation’ plaintiff alleges, even if . . . taken as true, occurred in 2014.” (Id. at
10.) While not explicitly saying so, WCBOE’s contention appears to be that because the alleged
violation occurred more than 120 days before a federal election, VIP-NC was required to wait 90
days after WCBOE’s receipt of the notice letter to file suit. VIP-NC has, however, alleged an
ongoing violation of Section 8 in that WCBOE is continuing to violate the NVRA’s list
maintenance requirements. (See Compl., DE # 1, ¶¶ 14, 15.) Because VIP-NC alleges an
ongoing violation at the time of the notice letter, its filing of suit 46 days after the 2 June 2016
letter complied with the notice requirement of § 20510(b)(2). See Cegavske, 800 F.3d at 1044.
Finally, both WCBOE and defendant-intervenors contend that VIP-NC’s allegations are
insufficient to show a violation of the obligation to conduct a program that makes a reasonable
effort at voter list maintenance.5 In support of this claim, VIP-NC alleges that “voter rolls
maintained by [WCBOE] contain or have contained more registrants than eligible voting-age
citizens.” (Id. ¶ 9.) Further, it cites to 2014 data from the U.S. Election Assistance
Commission and the U.S. Census Bureau. (Id. ¶¶ 10, 11.) Using that data, it alleges “the
5
Defendant-intervenors move only to dismiss Count I. Although WCBOE generally contends that VIP-NC’s
factual allegations fail to support a cause of action under the NVRA, (Mem., DE # 15, at 3), WCBOE make no
specific arguments to support dismissal of Count II other than continuing its argument that VIP-NC has sued the
wrong party, (id. at 8-9). For the reasons set forth above, the court disagrees and concludes WCBOE, to the extent
it maintains records concerning implementation of its list maintenance activities (which incidentally it does not deny
that it does), is required to make such records available for public inspection.
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registration rate in Wake County has been 104.75 percent during the conduct of a federal
election.” (Id. ¶ 12.) It also cites to more recent data, as of 2 July 2016, from SBOE, (id. ¶ 13),
and based on that data along with the 2014 census bureau data, alleges “the registration rate in
Wake County remains in excess of 104 percent of eligible citizens residing in Wake County,”
(id. ¶ 14). Also, as an example of WCBOE’s “failure to reasonably maintain the voter rolls,”
VIP-NC alleges WCBOE “undertakes absolutely no effort whatsoever to use data available from
the Wake County Clerk of Superior Court obtained from jury excusal communication” to
identify “residents who self-identify as non-citizens or non-residents” or to identify “potentially
obsolete mailing addresses of registrants.” (Id. ¶ 19.)
WCBOE characterizes VIP-NC’s reliance on 2014 census bureau data of eligible voters
(which is based on an average from 2010 to 2014) as a “threadbare basis” to support its
allegation that the number of registered voters in Wake County remains in excess of 104 percent
of eligible voters. (Mem., DE # 15, at 10.) Somewhat relatedly, defendant-intervenors argue
VIP-NC’s conclusion based on the cited data is “oversimplified” because it disregards the
NVRA’s requirement that, absent his/her written request, a registered voter cannot be removed
from the official list of eligible voters on the ground of a changed residence without written
notice and only after two federal general elections after the notice. (Mem., DE # 28, at 8.) See
also 52 U.S.C. § 20507(d)(1). “Thus, [according to defendant-intervenors,] it is entirely
plausible that the number of registrants would exceed the eligible voting age population in a
jurisdiction with high voter participation and a relatively transient population.” (Mem., DE #
28, at 9 (emphasis in original).)
The court notes that there is nothing inherently wrong with VIP-NC’s reliance on census
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data to support its claim. See Martinez-Rivera, 166 F. Supp. 3d at 791 (recognizing “that
United States census data is reliable”); id. at 805 (report and recommendation) (taking into
consideration registration rate based on census data to determine whether the plaintiff stated a
claim for failure to make a reasonable effort to conduct voter list maintenance under Section 8 of
the NVRA). While reliance on older data might arguably weaken an inference of wrongdoing,
VIP-NC used the most recent census data available at the time of the filing of its complaint. See
https://www.census.gov/rdo/data/voting_age_population_by_citizenship_and_race_
cvap.html (last visited 2/16/17) (2011-2015 data published 2/1/17). And, while defendantintervenors have advanced a potentially reasonable explanation for the high registration rate, that
being the two-election cycle waiting period to remove a registrant from the official voter list, the
validity of that explanation is not appropriate for determination at this early stage of the
litigation, where the court views the factual allegations and inferences drawn therefrom in favor
of VIP-NC.
Both WCBOE and defendant-intervenors take issue with VIP-NC’s supporting its claim
with the allegation that WCBOE has failed to use data from jury excusal communication. The
parties all appear to agree that the NVRA does not mandate that election officials use a particular
tool to conduct a voter list maintenance program, rather the Act provides election officials with
discretion in how to conduct that program. Thus, the fact that WCBOE does not use a “readily
available tool,” (Compl., DE # 1, ¶ 19), to remove ineligible voters does not mean in and of itself
that WCBOE has failed to make a reasonable effort at voter list maintenance. However, it,
along with other evidence, may be relevant to determine the reasonableness of WCBOE’s efforts
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at voter list maintenance. As such, the court will consider the allegation along with VIP-NC’s
other allegations to determine whether it has stated a claim under the NVRA.
Defendant-intervenors argue that Section 8’s “safe harbor” provision defeats VIP-NC’s
claim under § 20507(a)(4). Under the “safe harbor” provision,
A State may meet the requirement of subsection (a)(4) by establishing a program
under which—
(A) change-of-address information supplied by the Postal Service through its
licensees is used to identify registrants whose addresses may have changed; and
(B) if it appears from information provided by the Postal Service that—
(i) a registrant has moved to a different residence address in the same
registrar’s jurisdiction in which the registrant is currently registered, the
registrar changes the registration records to show the new address and
sends the registrant a notice of the change by forwardable mail and a
postage prepaid pre-addressed return form by which the registrant may
verify or correct the address information; or
(ii) the registrant has moved to a different residence address not in the
same registrar’s jurisdiction, the registrar uses the notice procedure
described in subsection (d)(2) to confirm the change of address.
52 U.S.C. § 20507(c)(1). Defendant-intervenors direct the court to a voter registration guideline
SBOE has adopted which implements a program whereby the SBOE compares quarterly the
statewide voter registration database against the Postal Service’s National Change of Address
Program and makes available to the county boards of election a report showing voters with
changes of address. (Mem., DE # 28, at 7 (citing 23:20 N.C. Reg. 2019-20 (Apr. 15, 2009)).)
In accordance with the guideline, the county boards of election are required to check the report
and follow certain procedures for any registered voter who is likely to have moved. 23:20 N.C.
Reg. 2019-20 (Apr. 15, 2009).
Given the stage of this proceeding, the court has no information about WCBOE’s
compliance with those procedures. Whether WCBOE’s compliance is sufficient to satisfy the
“safe harbor” provision is best resolved after further development of the record. See Bellitto,
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2016 WL 6248602, at *8 (concluding that whether a letter attached to the amended complaint
from the defendant local election official “establishes Defendant’s full compliance with
subsection (c)(1) and defeats Plaintiff’s claims is a fact-based argument more properly addressed
at a later stage of the proceedings”). Therefore, at this time, the court is unwilling to find that
the “safe harbor” provision applies to bar VIP-NC’s claim.
Considering VIP-NC’s allegation that the number of registered voters in Wake County
has exceeded, and continues to exceed, the number of eligible voters, which allegation is in turn
supported by reliable data and WBOE’s failure to use available jury excuse information, a
reasonable inference can be drawn that WCBOE is not making a reasonable effort to conduct a
voter list maintenance program in accordance with the NVRA. See Martinez-Rivera, 166 F.
Supp. 3d at 793-94 (holding that allegations of voter rolls containing more registered voters than
citizens eligible to vote—a 105% registration rate—gave rise to a strong inference of a violation
of the NVRA and stated a plausible claim for relief). Accordingly, the court finds VIP-NC has
stated a claim for violation of 52 U.S.C. § 20507.
III. CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the motions to dismiss are DENIED.
This 21 February 2017.
__________________________________
W. Earl Britt
Senior U.S. District Judge
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