AB 389

This bill makes the following changes to the election laws:

Electronic voter registration

This bill permits a qualified elector to register to vote electronically, eliminates

the position and responsibilities of special registration deputies, and requires the

Government Accountability Board (GAB) to enter into agreements with other state

election administrators to share information related to the registration and voting

of qualified electors.

Currently, a qualified elector may register to vote at any election by mail, in

person at the office of the municipal or county clerk or board of election

commissioners for the municipality or county where the elector resides, or by

completing a registration form with a special registration deputy no later than the

20th day before the election. A qualified elector may also register to vote at an

election in person at the office of the municipal clerk or board of election

commissioners for the municipality where the elector resides no later than 5 p.m. on

the Friday before the election. In order to register, an elector must provide his or her

name and address and certain other information required to ascertain his or her

eligibility and must sign the form. With certain exceptions, an elector who registers

after the 20th day before an election or an elector who registers by mail and who has

not voted before in an election in this state must provide proof of residence prior to

voting. Currently, the clerk or board of election commissioners must verify each

registration received by mail or submitted by a special registration deputy by

sending a first-class letter or postcard to the registrant at the registrant's address.

This bill permits a qualified elector who has a current and valid driver's license

or identification card issued by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to register

to vote at an election electronically on a secure Internet site maintained by GAB. The

bill requires an electronic registration to be completed no later than the 20th day

before an election in order to be valid for that election. Under the bill, a qualified

elector enters the same information that appears on the current registration form

and authorizes DOT to forward a copy of his or her electronic signature to GAB. The

authorization affirms that all information provided by the elector is correct and has

the same effect as if the elector signed the form personally. The bill also permits an

elector who is currently registered to vote and who has a current and valid driver's

license or identification card to electronically enter a change of name or address

using a similar procedure.

In accordance with the existing procedure for verifying registrations that are

not received at the office of the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners,

the bill provides that when an electronic registration is received, GAB or the clerk

or board of election commissioners of the elector's municipality of residence must

verify each electronic registration by sending a first-class letter or postcard to the

registrant at the registrant's address. Except as otherwise permitted under the bill,