An election integrity organization and a Republican congresswoman accused New York State's Board of Elections on Friday of registering millions of voters without required identifying information, violating federal law ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE) and U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., sent a letter to the board demanding comprehensive records and data by May 2026 to address shortcomings in the voter registration system. They threatened federal court action if unmet. The letter followed a late 2025 notice from RITE outlining violations that the board allegedly failed to correct.

The group claims New York's voter registration forms breach the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002. HAVA mandates that for mail-in registrations, states require applicants to provide a driver's license number if they have one, the last four digits of their Social Security number if not, or an affidavit affirming neither. States cannot process forms lacking this data.

RITE alleges the forms fail to properly instruct applicants on providing driver's license information when applicable and continue to register those omitting the required details. "The law is clear: states may not accept registration forms that lack required identifying information," RITE President Justin Riemer stated. "This flagrant violation of an important federal safeguard significantly erodes the integrity of New York’s voter registration system."

These lapses have resulted in millions of incomplete registrations, complicating efforts to maintain accurate voter rolls, according to RITE. A 2022 report by the Public Interest Legal Foundation identified 3.1 million New York registrants, 23% of the rolls, lacking a driver's license or Social Security number. The analysis, covering top counties like Nassau and Kings, highlighted how missing personally identifiable information hinders duplicate detection, move tracking, and deceased voter removal.

Rep. Tenney, chair of the House Election Integrity Caucus, emphasized the need for transparency. "The people of New York deserve answers, accountability, and full compliance with HAVA to ensure the integrity of every vote," she said.

The board also declined RITE's request for an audit of incomplete applications. Separately, New York City's Board of Elections faced scrutiny in February when an employee did not prevent a reporter posing as a noncitizen from attempting registration.

The New York State Board of Elections did not immediately respond to requests for comment. New York's voter rolls have drawn prior attention, including a 2025 watchdog report noting over 50,000 discrepancies like deceased registrants.

RITE and Tenney described the board's inaction as disregarding public trust in accurate voter lists. The issue persists despite New York's online and automatic voter registration options, which still reference federal ID requirements.