103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2
AN ACT
To establish national voter registration procedures
for Federal elections, and for other purposes.
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2
AN ACT
To establish national voter registration procedures for
Federal elections, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Voter Reg-
istration Act of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—
(1) the right of citizens of the United States to
vote is a fundamental right;
(2) it is the duty of the Federal, State, and
local governments to promote the exercise of that
right; and
(3) discriminatory and unfair registration laws
and procedures can have a direct and damaging ef-
fect on voter participation in elections for Federal
office and disproportionately harm voter participa-
tion by various groups, including racial minorities.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to establish procedures that will increase
the number of eligible citizens who register to vote
in elections for Federal office;
(2) to make it possible for Federal, State, and
local governments to implement this Act in a man-
ner that enhances the participation of eligible citi-
zens as voters in elections for Federal office;
(3) to protect the integrity of the electoral proc-
ess; and
(4) to ensure that accurate and current voter
registration rolls are maintained.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act—
(1) the term ‘‘election’’ has the meaning stated
in section 301(1) of the Federal Election Campaign
Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(1));
(2) the term ‘‘Federal office’’ has the meaning
stated in section 301(3) of the Federal Election
Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 431(3));
(3) the term ‘‘motor vehicle driver’s license’’ in-
cludes any personal identification document issued
by a State motor vehicle authority;
(4) the term ‘‘State’’ means a State of the
United States and the District of Columbia; and
(5) the term ‘‘voter registration agency’’ means
an office designated under section 7(a)(1) to per-
form voter registration activities.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL PROCEDURES FOR VOTER REGISTRA-
TION FOR ELECTIONS FOR FEDERAL OFFICE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection
(b), notwithstanding any other Federal or State law, in
addition to any other method of voter registration pro-
vided for under State law, each State shall establish proce-
dures to register to vote in elections for Federal office—
(1) by application made simultaneously with an
application for a motor vehicle driver’s license pursu-
ant to section 5;
(2) by mail application pursuant to section 6;
and
(3) by application in person—
(A) at the appropriate registration site
designated with respect to the residence of the
applicant in accordance with State law; and
(B) at a Federal, State, or nongovern-
mental office designated under section 7.
(b) NONAPPLICABILITY TO CERTAIN STATES.—This
Act does not apply to a State described in either or both
of the following paragraphs:
(1) A State in which there is no voter registra-
tion requirement for any voter in the State with re-
spect to an election for Federal office.
(2) A State in which all voters in the State may
register to vote at the polling place at the time of
voting in a general election for Federal office.
SEC. 5. SIMULTANEOUS APPLICATION FOR VOTER REG-
ISTRATION AND APPLICATION FOR MOTOR
VEHICLE DRIVER’S LICENSE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—(1) Except as provided in sub-
section (b), each State motor vehicle driver’s license appli-
cation (including any renewal application) submitted to
the appropriate State motor vehicle authority under State
law shall serve as an application for voter registration with
respect to elections for Federal office.
(2) An application for voter registration submitted
under paragraph (1) shall be considered as updating any
previous voter registration by the applicant.
(b) DECLINATION TO REGISTER.—(1) An applicant
for a State motor vehicle driver’s license may decline in
writing to be registered by means of the motor vehicle
driver’s license application.
(2) No information relating to a declination pursuant
to paragraph (1) may be used for any purpose other than
voter registration.
(c) FORMS AND PROCEDURES.—(1) Each State shall
include a voter registration application form for elections
for Federal office as part of an application for a State
motor vehicle driver’s license.
(2) The voter registration application portion of an
application for a State motor vehicle driver’s license—
(A) may not require any information that dupli-
cates information required in the driver’s license
portion of the form (other than a second signature
or other information necessary under subparagraph
(C));
(B) shall include a means by which an applicant
may decline to register to vote pursuant to sub-
section (b);
(C) may require only the minimum amount of
information necessary to—
(i) prevent duplicate voter registrations;
and
(ii) enable State election officials to assess
the eligibility of the applicant and to administer
voter registration and other parts of the elec-
tion process;
(D) shall include a statement that—
(i) states each eligibility requirement (in-
cluding citizenship);
(ii) contains an attestation that the appli-
cant meets each such requirement; and
(iii) requires the signature of the applicant,
under penalty of perjury; and
(E) shall be made available (as submitted by
the applicant, or in machine readable or other for-
mat) to the appropriate State election official as pro-
vided by State law.
(d) CHANGE OF ADDRESS.—Any change of address
form submitted in accordance with State law for purposes
of a State motor vehicle driver’s license shall serve as noti-
fication of change of address for voter registration with
respect to elections for Federal office for the registrant
involved unless the registrant states on the form that the
change of address is not for voter registration purposes.
SEC. 6. MAIL REGISTRATION.
(a) FORM.—(1) Each State shall accept and use the
mail voter registration application form prescribed by the
Federal Election Commission pursuant to section 9(a)(2)
for the registration of voters in elections for Federal office.
(2) In addition to accepting and using the form de-
scribed in paragraph (1), a State may develop and use
a mail voter registration form that meets all of the criteria
stated in section 9(b) for the registration of voters in elec-
tions for Federal office.
(3) A form described in paragraph (1) or (2) shall
be accepted and used for notification of a registrant’s
change of address.
(b) AVAILABILITY OF FORMS.—The chief State elec-
tion official of a State shall make the forms described in
subsection (a) available for distribution through govern-
mental and private entities, with particular emphasis on
making them available for organized voter registration
programs.
(c) FIRST-TIME VOTERS.—(1) Subject to paragraph
(2), a State may by law require a person to vote in person
if—
(A) the person was registered to vote in a juris-
diction by mail; and
(B) the person has not previously voted in that
jurisdiction.
(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply in the case of a
person—
(A) who is entitled to vote by absentee ballot
under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absen-
tee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff–1 et seq.);
(B) who is provided the right to vote otherwise
than in person under section 3(b)(2)(B)(ii) of the
Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handi-
capped Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ee–1(b)(2)(B)(ii)); or
(C) who is entitled to vote otherwise than in
person under any other Federal law.
SEC. 7. VOTER REGISTRATION AGENCIES.
(a) DESIGNATION.—(1) Each State shall designate
agencies for the registration of voters in elections for Fed-
eral office.
(2) Each State shall designate as voter registration
agencies—
(A) all offices in the State that provide public
assistance, unemployment compensation, or related
services; and
(B) all offices in the State that provide State-
funded programs primarily engaged in providing
services to persons with disabilities.
(3)(A) In addition to voter registration agencies des-
ignated under paragraph (2), each State shall designate
other offices within the State as voter registration agen-
cies.
(B) Voter registration agencies designated under sub-
paragraph (A) may include—
(i) State or local government offices such as
public libraries, public schools, offices of city and
county clerks (including marriage license bureaus),
fishing and hunting license bureaus, government rev-
enue offices, and offices not described in paragraph
(2)(B) that provide services to persons with disabil-
ities; and
(ii) Federal and nongovernmental offices, with
the agreement of such offices.
(4)(A) At each voter registration agency, the follow-
ing services shall be made available:
(i) Distribution of mail voter registration appli-
cation forms in accordance with paragraph (6).
(ii) Assistance to applicants in completing voter
registration application forms.