DOWNERS GROVE, IL — The Voter Reference Foundation (VRF), through its website VoteRef.com, today released data from its ninth state as it continues to compile the first nationwide voter list searchable by the public.

The database now includes Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Eventually the project will grow to include every registered voter from every state with the goal of keeping the voter files up to date in near real-time. The states gathered so far represent over a quarter of the total population of the country.

The Voter Reference Foundation is gathering and presenting the data in searchable form for several reasons. First, having a transparent and searchable list can serve as a deterrent against fraud. This will give voters additional confidence in the integrity of our elections.

In addition, through gathering the list, VRF has checked the voter list data against the data reported for the 2020 election. This is done by requesting voter information from official state and local sources to ensure the most accurate information.

This process has revealed discrepancies between the number of voters listed as having voted in the 2020 general election (according to the voter list) and the number of ballots reported being cast according to states’ official canvass and turnout reports. Some discrepancies have been small – as low as 42 in North Carolina. Some show more ballots cast than voters voting, and some show more people voting than ballots cast.

The discrepancy in Michigan is the largest so far. Differences between the voter list and the election canvass indicates, at the very least, an issue with record keeping and points to the need to be more transparent and proactive about maintaining the voter rolls.

State | Discrepancy

VRF Executive Director Gina Swoboda says that Michigan is a key state for this project.

“Michigan is a state that gained a lot of attention in 2020,” Swoboda said. “We have a large discrepancy there. This is troubling and something we need to further examine to determine the cause.”

Swoboda continued that she hopes VoteRef.com is quickly made obsolete by states doing it themselves.

“We’re honored to be the first comprehensive database in this space because it’s an important step forward for confidence in our elections. But we shouldn’t be the provider of this information. States like Michigan should ultimately publish, maintain, clean, and present the voter files in real time rendering independent efforts obsolete.”

VoteRef.com is a permanent reference source operated by VRF. Those who access the website can search by name or address for registered voters. They also will be able to examine voting histories -- a list of elections that voters participated in, as well as other important election data obtained via official sources.

The VRF was created by Restoration Action, an educational 501c4 organization founded by West Point graduate and successful entrepreneur Doug Truax. A former U.S. Senate candidate in Illinois, Truax is deeply interested in election integrity, as expressed in this recent op-ed in American Greatness.