What happens if you haven't voted for 4 years?

[progree]

I posted something this at a thread
"Feel-good news: How Justice Sotomayor schooled Trump's solicitor general" https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210097881#post7

which is about failing to vote triggering a purge from the voter rolls, and Justice Sotomayor saying how aberrant that is, e.g.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor confronted U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco as to why his office broke with solicitors general of both political parties for 24 years who said using failure-to-vote as a trigger to purge voters from state rolls violated the National Voter Registration Act.

But don't we have that in Minnesota? Oh it says "inactive" not "purged" but you have to register if you are marked "inactive" in order to vote again....

201.171 POSTING VOTING HISTORY; FAILURE TO VOTE; REGISTRATION REMOVED. Within six weeks after every election, the county auditor shall post the voting history for every person who voted in the election. After the close of the calendar year, the secretary of state shall determine if any registrants have not voted during the preceding four years. The secretary of state shall perform list maintenance by changing the status of those registrants to "inactive" in the statewide registration system. The list maintenance performed must be conducted in a manner that ensures that the name of each registered voter appears in the official list of eligible voters in the statewide registration system. A voter must not be removed from the official list of eligible voters unless the voter is not eligible or is not registered to vote. List maintenance must include procedures for eliminating duplicate names from the official list of eligible voters.

The secretary of state shall also prepare a report to the county auditor containing the names of all registrants whose status was changed to "inactive."

Registrants whose status was changed to "inactive" must register in the manner specified in section 201.054 before voting in any primary, special primary, general, school district, or special election, as required by section 201.018.

More: http://www.sos.state.mn.us/media/2304/minnesota-election-laws-statutes-and-rules.pdf

Nothing surprising at 201.054 on registration rules. 201.061 covers same-day registration. I don't see anything about a streamlined registration process for people who are already registered but "inactive". But it might be there somewhere.

Maybe it is thought not to matter since one can same-day register at the polls, though one has to bring some proof of residence or have someone vouch for you. But some might reasonably say that even this could disenfranchise someone who showed up in the last few minutes or otherwise couldn't get home or back with the required proof in time, and didn't know beforehand that they need to register/re-register simply because they hadn't voted for 4 years. ON EDIT: I suppose he/she could vote provisionally and then bring the required proof the next days....

Minnesota is known for its very high election turnout (like being highest in the nation) and we don't have voter ID or any of that crap... so its odd about the "must have voted within the past 4 years or must register again" rule

[progree]

1. And "four years" is confusing to me - what if election day is later this year than 4 years ago?

And while I'm at it, why not have the words be "4 years and 1 month" or somesuch instead of "4 years"? With 4 years, there is confusion (to me anyway) about what happens if election day is later in November this year than it was 4 years ago? Like if election day falls on Nov 8 this year, but 4 year ago it fell on Nov 3, then I would have to reregister because its 4 years and 5 days.

But if election day falls on November 3 this year, but 4 years ago it fell on Nov 8, then no sweat?

Or am I just being a bean head?

[progree]

2. Kick -- in light of today's Supreme Court decision on Ohio voter rolls ... n/t