Voter Integrity Act
Summary: The Voter Integrity Act creates a uniform, accurate list of registered voters.
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE
The Act shall be called the “Voter Integrity Act.”
SECTION 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE
(A) FINDINGS—The legislature finds that:
1. To preserve the integrity of the voting process, the state must guarantee to its citizens that their right to cast a ballot in local, state and national elections is unfettered by administrative errors.
2. Accurate record keeping by election administrators is essential to ensure electoral integrity, eliminate duplicate registrations, and to ensure that address information is up to date.
3. The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 declared that unfair or discriminatory registration rules and procedures have a damaging effect on voter participation.
4. The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 requires states to implement interactive computerized statewide registration lists that are accessible to state and local election officials.
(B) PURPOSE—This law is enacted to guarantee citizens’ right to vote by making this state’s voter registration lists more technologically sophisticated and accurate.
SECTION 3. ACCURATE VOTER ROLLS
(A) STATEWIDE VOTER REGISTRATION SYSTEM—The system for recording and managing the rolls of qualified voters shall:
1. Be uniform throughout the state.
2. Use information gathered by executive departments, state agencies, and county, city, township and village clerks to ensure that records are current.
3. Electronically connect between the office of the [State Board of Elections] and the offices of each [local election supervisor] in real time.
4. Electronically connect with the [Department of Corrections] to send and receive information regarding the eligibility to vote of persons with felony convictions; and the [Department of Motor Vehicles] and social service and disability agencies to send and receive voter registration applications electronically in compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
(B) STANDARDS FOR PURGING VOTERS—The [State Board of Elections] shall create and implement a system to:
1. Use change of address information supplied by the United States Postal Service or other reliable sources to identify registered voters whose addresses change.
2. Cross-check names on the voter registration database with death records to verify voter eligibility.
3. Ensure that no individual shall be removed from the voter registration list unless such individual is provided with a notice consistent with the requirements of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
4. Use a codified, non-discriminatory minimum set of standards in the matching process before purging voter rolls. This process shall include an exact match of: first, last and middle names; the social security number or other unique identification number; date of birth; and gender.
(C) COMPLIANCE WITH NVRA—Notwithstanding another provision of law to the contrary, a person who is qualified to vote and who registers in a manner consistent with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 shall be considered a registered voter.
SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE
This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007.