Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is calling on her supporters to help identify up to 80,000 inactive voters in New York City eligible to participate in upcoming elections. The effort aims to encourage these individuals to reactivate their registration and cast ballots favoring Democratic candidates.

Voter registration in New York is automatically changed to inactive status if a person fails to vote in two consecutive federal elections or does not respond to a Board of Elections notice regarding a change of address. According to a statement from Ocasio-Cortez’s team, over 80,000 such voters exist in New York City. However, city officials report a significantly larger figure, with the Board of Elections listing 446,479 inactive voters on its rolls.

The push to reengage inactive voters faces notable challenges. Jerry Skirnik, a representative of Engage Voters US—a firm managing voter databases—cautioned that a substantial portion of these inactive registrants may have relocated or passed away. This situation complicates efforts to accurately reach and reactivate them ahead of the elections.

Ocasio-Cortez, representing Queens and the Bronx, is focusing on mobilizing these voters as part of broader Democratic efforts to increase turnout. Activists affiliated with her campaign are deploying outreach strategies in hopes of reversing the inactive status and securing more votes for their party in the coming electoral contests.

The large number of inactive voters underscores ongoing concerns about voter engagement and registration accuracy in the city, with officials and advocates debating the best methods to maintain a representative and up-to-date voter roll.