An influential election integrity organization has raised concerns about one predominantly Democratic state’s failure to implement necessary voting protections as the November midterm elections approach.
The nonpartisan group, Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE), is pointing fingers at the New York State Board of Elections (NYSBOE) for allegedly ignoring a request to update the state’s voter registration form according to federal voting standards.
In a letter sent in late 2025, the watchdog highlighted several violations they believe could jeopardize the integrity of New York’s elections if not addressed. Despite this warning, the board has reportedly made minimal efforts to rectify these issues.
As a result, RITE, along with Tenney, is pressing the board to provide detailed records and data that could expose further deficiencies within the state’s voter registration system.
“Your lack of a response is troubling and disregards the need to ensure public trust that New York is maintaining accurate voter rolls as required by federal law,” the organization stated in a letter to the NYSBOE earlier this week, which Fox News Digital has obtained.
Should the board fail to meet the May 2026 deadline set by RITE and Tenney, they are prepared to escalate the matter to a federal court to ensure compliance with federal election laws.
The watchdog alleges two errors in New York State’s voter registration forms that violate the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).
First, New York State did not instruct individuals that they must provide their driver’s license information if they have one. It also continued registering individuals who did not provide a driver’s license, the last four digits of their Social Security number or a declaration that the applicant has neither, as required by federal law.
These errors have, in part, led to millions of New York voters providing incomplete information during the registration process, making it more difficult for the state to accurately maintain voter lists, according to RITE.
RITE and and Tenney also allege the board did not perform a requested audit to identify how many incomplete voter registration applications have been processed.
A 2022 report from the conservative Public Interest Legal Foundation found that at least 3.1 million New York registered voters have not provided a driver’s license or Social Security number on their application form.
“The law is clear: states may not accept registration forms that lack required identifying information,” RITE President Justin Riemer said in a statement. New York’s own regulations direct officials to do exactly that. This flagrant violation of an important federal safeguard significantly erodes the integrity of New York’s voter registration system.”
“We are committed to getting answers about the breadth of the problem and ensuring the state fixes it,” Riemer added.
Tenney, who is chair of the Election Integrity Caucus, said she has called for an investigation into the NYSBOE since 2022.
“Transparency and accurate voter rolls are essential to maintaining public trust in our elections,” the New York Republican said in a statement. “The people of New York deserve answers, accountability, and full compliance with HAVA to ensure the integrity of every vote.”
The New York City Board of Elections system has also come under recent scrutiny for failing to enact adequate safeguards.
One of its employees declined to block a reporter who was posing as a noncitizen from attempting to register to vote, according to video footage obtained by Fox News Digital in February.
