Bill > S2824

Introduced Session

This bill reduces the standard voter registration deadline from 21 days before election day to eight days before election day. The bill also allows persons to register to vote at their assigned polling place on election day, and at an office where a mail-in ballot may be issued during the period beginning 45 days before the election and ending at 3 P.M. the day before the election. Under the bill, an applicant registering to vote at the polling place on the day of any election, at an office where a mail-in ballot may be issued under "The Vote By Mail Law" for the period beginning 45 days before the election and ending at 3 P.M. the day before the election, would be required to (1) present or submit a copy of an identifying document; (2) complete an appropriate voter registration form; and (3) submit an affidavit in which the applicant declares that the applicant is not already properly registered to vote for the election in which the applicant is voting, will have lived in the county in which the applicant is voting for at least 30 days prior to that election, has not previously voted in that election, and upon voting will not thereafter vote in that election. The bill requires the commissioner of registration to designate an individual at each polling place, and at each office where a mail-in ballot may be issued, to receive and review the forms and affidavits. The commissioner's designee would be required to read to an applicant, prior to accepting the forms and affidavits, the penalty provision for voter fraud. The designee would then issue a temporary registration certificate to a qualified applicant. The certificate would be in triplicate, with one copy to be retained by the designee, one copy to be retained by the office, and one copy to be retained by the applicant. The applicant would then be permitted to vote at the polling place on election day, or immediately at the office where mail-in ballots are issued, as the case may be, in a manner promulgated by the Secretary of the State to allow verification of the applicant's identity and ensure the security of the ballot. The bill requires the commissioner of registration in each county to furnish voter registration forms and affidavit forms to each polling place and to each office where a mail-in ballot may be issued. Under the bill, the completed forms and affidavits received by the commissioner's designee at these locations would be delivered to the commissioner as soon as possible, and no later than within two days of completion. The bill directs the commissioner, upon receiving these forms, to send to the registrant written notification of the registrant's registration; to enter the information into the Statewide voter registration system; to file the records as required by current law; and, in the case of a registrant currently registered in another county of this State, to notify the commissioner of registration of such other county to delete such registrant's name from the list of persons registered in such other county. The bill also requires the commissioner to notify a registrant of the reasons for any refusal to approve that person's registration within two business days of such determination. The bill also allows the county clerk of each county to accept change of residence notices. Under current law, such notices are accepted by each county commissioner of registration and each municipal clerk.

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Sandra Cunningham (D)*,  Nellie Pou (D)*,  Patrick Diegnan (D),  Vin Gopal (D),  Brian Stack (D),  Shirley Turner (D), 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee (on 08/17/2020)