ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-fifth Legislature

Second Regular Session

House: GE DP 7-6-0-0 | 3rd Read 31-28-1-0
Senate: GOV DP 4-3-0-0 | 3rd Read 16-12-2-0
Final Pass: 31-27-2-0


HB 2243: voter registration; state residency; cancellation

Sponsor: Representative Hoffman, LD 12

Transmitted to the Governor

Overview

Requires the voter registration form to contain a statement that if a registrant permanently moves to another state after registering in Arizona, the voter registration will be cancelled.

History

The voter registration form currently used in this state is required by statute to contain various items and is printed in a form prescribed by the Secretary of State.  In addition to identifying information about the registrant, the form must include a statement as to whether the registrant is currently registered in another state, county or precinct, and if so, the name, address, county and state of the previous registration (A.R.S. § 16-152).

Provisions

1.   ☐ Prop 105 (45 votes)	     ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes)      ☐ Emergency (40 votes)	☐ Fiscal NoteIncludes a statement on the voter registration form specifying that if a registrant permanently moves to another state after registering in this state, the voter registration will be cancelled. (Sec. 1)

2.   Directs the county recorder to cancel a voter registration when the county recorder:

a)   Is informed and confirms that the registered person is dead;

b)   Receives an Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) form from a person on which the person has confirmed that the person is not an Arizona resident;

c)   Receives a summary report from the jury commissioner or manager indicating that the person has stated that the person is not a resident of the county; and

i.   Requires the county recorder, before canceling the voter registration, to send a form to the person by forwardable mail and a postage prepaid preaddressed return requesting the person confirm by signature that the person is a resident of the county and not knowingly registered in another county or state;

ii. The notice must inform the person that failure to return the form within 35 days results in the person's voter registration being canceled; and

iii.   The county recorder must cancel the voter's registration if the form is not returned in 35 days.

d)   Obtains information and confirms that the registered person is not a United States citizen, including from a summary report from the jury commissioner or manager that a person has stated that the person is not a United States citizen.

i.   Requires the county recorder, before canceling the voter registration, to send a notice to the person by forwardable mail that the person's registration will be canceled unless satisfactory evidence of United States citizenship is provided;

ii. The notice must include a list of documents the person may provide and a postage prepaid preaddressed return envelope; and

iii.   If the person does not provide satisfactory evidence within 35 days, the county recorder must cancel the registration and notify the county attorney and Attorney General for possible investigation. (Sec. 2)

3.   Requires ADOT to furnish a list of people who ADOT has been notified have been issued a driver license or the equivalent of an Arizona nonoperating identification license in another state to the Secretary of State monthly without charge. (Sec. 2)

4.   Stipulates that the Secretary of State (SOS), within 10 days of receiving the list, must provide to the appropriate county recorder a list of registered voters in that county who have been issued a driver license or the equivalent of an Arizona nonoperating identification license from another state. (Sec. 2)

5.   Instructs the county recorder to:

a)   Promptly send notice by forwardable mail to each person who has obtained a driver license or equivalent of an Arizona nonoperating identification license in another state and a postage prepaid preaddressed return form requesting the person sign under penalty of perjury that the person is an Arizona resident and not knowingly registered  to vote in another state or not an Arizona resident;

b)   The notice must inform the person that failure to return the form within 90 days will result in the person's voter registration being placed in inactive status;

c)   If the person returns the form within the 90 days, the person's voter registration will be maintained in active status; and

d)   If the person fails to return the form within 90 days, the county recorder must place the person's voter registration in inactive status. (Sec. 2)

6.   Directs the SOS, each month, to compare the statewide voter registration database to the driver license database and notify the appropriate county recorder if a person who is registered to vote in that county is not a United States citizen or has changed the person's residence address. (Sec. 2)

7.   Specifies that, to the extent practicable, each month the county recorder must:

a)   Compare the county's voter registration database to the social security administration database; and

b)   Compare people who are registered to vote in that county and who the county recorder has reason to believe are not United States citizens and people who are registered to vote without satisfactory evidence of citizenship with the systematic alien verification for entitlements program maintained by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in order to verify the citizenship status of the people registered. (Sec. 2)

8.   States that the county recorder must compare the electronic verification of vital events system maintained by a national association for public health statistics and information systems, if accessible, for people who are registered to vote without satisfactory evidence of citizenship, with the information on the person's voter registration file. (Sec. 2)

9.   Requires, to the extent practicable, the county recorder to review relevant city, town, county, state and federal databases that the county recorder has access to confirm information obtained that requires cancellation of registrations. (Sec. 2)

10.  Asserts that after canceling a voter registration, the county recorder must send a notice by forwardable mail informing the person that the person's registration has been canceled and include:

a)   The reason for cancellation;

b)   The qualifications of electors pursuant to statute; and

c)   Instructions on registering to vote if the person is qualified. (Sec. 2)

11.  Directs the SOS to report the following information to the Legislature at the end of each quarter:

a)   The number of deaths reported by the Arizona Department of Health Services and the number of voter registration cancellation notices and actual cancellations as a result of such information;

b)   The number of people who have been issued a driver license or equivalent of an Arizona nonoperating license in another state, the number of notices sent and the number of voter registrations that have been placed in inactive status and canceled as a result;

c)   The number of people who have stated on a jury questionnaire that the person is not a United States citizen or not a resident of the county, the number of notices sent and number of registrations canceled as a result of the notices; and

d)   The number of registrations on the inactive voter list that have been canceled pursuant to statute relating to the time periods that a person must vote in to not be on the inactive voter list. (Sec. 2)

12.  Requires the juror questionnaire to inform the person that disqualification from jury duty as a result of responding to the questionnaire that the person is not a resident or not a United States citizen will result in the person's voter registration being cancelled. (Sec. 3)

13.  Directs the jury commissioner or jury manager to forward a summary report derived from jury questionnaire data that contains information that indicates that the person is not a United States citizen or does not reside in the county to the SOS and county recorder. (Sec. 3)

14.  Specifies that the report must only contain information that is necessary for the county recorder to accurately identify the person in the voter registration database. (Sec. 3)

15.  Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 2, 3)

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19.                    HB 2243

20.  Initials SJ  Page 0 Transmitted

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