SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5048

BYSenators Vognild, Metcalf, Peterson, Johnson and Cantu

Allowing county auditor to investigate and cancel invalid voter registration.

Senate Committee on Judiciary

Senate Hearing Date(s):January 26, 1987

Senate Staff:Jon Carlson (786-7459)

AS OF JANUARY 22, 1987

BACKGROUND:

A registered voter maintains his or her registered status by voting at any election within a two-year period or at the most recent presidential election.  The county auditor is required to cancel the voter registration record of any voter who fails to meet these requirements.  In addition, there are instances when the auditors need to remove from the registration files the names of those voters who no longer reside at the addresses on their registration cards.

SUMMARY:

The county auditor may make an inquiry into the validity of the registration of any voter if the auditor has reason to believe that the information contained on an individual's voter registration record is incorrect.

The county auditor must initiate the inquiry by means of a written notice sent by first class mail to the challenged voter at the address indicated on the voter's permanent registration record.  The county auditor must not request any restriction on the forwarding of this notice.

If, by the end of the forty-fifth day after the inquiry is made, the voter fails to state that the information on the permanent voter registration record is correct, or does not request a change of information in the record, the county auditor is required to cancel the voter's registration.  A voter may respond no later than the forty-fifth day after the mailing of the cancellation, at which time the auditor may reinstate the voter.

The names of voters whose mail ballot envelopes are returned to the the county auditor as "undeliverable" are also subject to this inquiry process.

Fiscal Note:      requested