SB 198

Currently, the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners of any

municipality may appoint special registration deputies to assist qualified electors in

completing their voter registration forms prior to the close of registration at locations

other than the office of a municipal clerk or board of election commissioners, the

office of the Government Accountability Board, or a polling place. To be effective for

a given election, registration forms that are obtained by a special registration deputy

must be received by a municipal clerk or board of election commissioners or

postmarked no later than the 20th day before the election. Any qualified elector of

this state may qualify to serve as a special registration deputy. An individual may

be appointed to serve more than one municipality by more than one municipal clerk

or board of election commissioners. A deputy may register any qualified elector of

the municipality or municipalities for which he or she is appointed. A municipal

clerk may revoke the appointment of any individual who serves as a deputy for cause,

and no individual whose appointment is revoked is eligible for reappointment.

This bill permits a county clerk or board of election commissioners to appoint

one or more individuals to serve as a special registration deputy. The bill also permits

an individual to be appointed to serve more than one county by more than one county

clerk or board of election commissioners. Under the bill, a deputy who is appointed

by the clerk or board may register any qualified elector of the county for which he or

she is appointed. The bill makes a county clerk or board of election commissioners

responsible for the training of any special registration deputies appointed by that

clerk or board and permits that clerk or board to delegate responsibility for providing

training to certain other county or municipal officials or employees. Under the bill,

a municipal clerk retains the ability to appoint special registration deputies for the

municipality.

Currently, no person may compensate a person who obtains voter registration

forms from other persons at a rate that varies in relation to the number of voter

registrations obtained by the person. Violators are guilty of a misdemeanor and may

be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.

This bill provides, in addition, that no person who employs an individual to serve as

a special registration deputy may require the individual, as a condition of

employment, to obtain an express or implied quota of new registrants within a given

period.