Election-denying GOP lawmaker, anti-voting group target New York’s voter registration system

An election-denying Republican member of Congress is targeting New York’s voter registration process —  demanding records and threatening legal action over familiar, unproven narratives about voter fraud.

U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), working with the anti-voting group Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE), sent a formal request to the New York State Board of Elections last week seeking extensive data on how counties process voter registrations — particularly applications that may be missing identifying information.

The request relies on a contested interpretation of federal law to argue that New York may be improperly registering voters. 

“The law is clear: states may not accept registration forms that lack required identifying information,” RITE President Justin Riemer said in a press release. “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.”

Tenney and RITE claim a state regulation allows counties to register voters even when applications are missing a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number — and without confirming the applicant lacks both.

But election officials routinely use additional verification steps after registration forms are submitted, and missing information on an initial form does not mean a voter is ineligible or that the registration is improper.

The letter demands a wide range of records, including the state’s full voter registration database, internal guidance and communications between state and county election officials dating back to 2021.

“If you intend to withhold any otherwise responsive records or redact any parts thereof, please inform us in writing of the specific statutory basis for your denial or redactions,” the letter states. “We request these records be made available by May 7, 2026. If they are not, we intend to commence enforcement proceedings.”

Tenney, who represents upstate New York, has promoted efforts to challenge elections since 2020, when false claims of widespread voter fraud fueled attempts to overturn the results.

She has raised concerns about voter registration and election administration as part of a broader push by Republican officials and allied groups that has repeatedly questioned election processes despite no evidence of widespread fraud affecting outcomes.

In a statement accompanying the request, Tenney framed the effort as oversight.

“Transparency and accurate voter rolls are essential to maintaining public trust in our elections,” Tenney said. “The people of New York deserve answers, accountability, and full compliance with HAVA to ensure the integrity of every vote.”

The effort builds on a previous complaint RITE sent in November 2025. 

While New York updated its voter registration form after that letter, the group is now escalating its claims by demanding records and threatening litigation.

RITE has also cited a report from allied anti-voting group, Public Interest Legal Foundation, claiming that millions of New York voter records lack identifying numbers — a figure that has not been independently verified and that does not necessarily indicate voter fraud.

New York election officials have not yet publicly responded to the request.