I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2778 
To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to permit a voting 
registrar to remove an individual from the official list of registered 
voters for elections for Federal office on the ground that the individual 
no longer resides in the registrar’s jurisdiction if the individual fails 
to vote in any election held during 2 consecutive Federal election cycles, 
the registrar sends a notice to the individual at the end of the second 
cycle, and the individual fails to respond to the notice within 60 days. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 7, 2005 
Mr. DENT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on House Administration 
A BILL 
To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to 
permit a voting registrar to remove an individual from 
the official list of registered voters for elections for Fed-
eral office on the ground that the individual no longer 
resides in the registrar’s jurisdiction if the individual 
fails to vote in any election held during 2 consecutive 
Federal election cycles, the registrar sends a notice to 
the individual at the end of the second cycle, and the 
individual fails to respond to the notice within 60 days. 
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 ‘‘Common Sense in 
Voter Registration Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. PERMITTING REMOVAL OF INDIVIDUALS FAILING 
TO VOTE DURING 2 CONSECUTIVE ELECTION 
CYCLES AND FAILING TO RESPOND TO SUB-
SEQUENT NOTICE FROM REGISTRAR. 
(a) REMOVAL PERMITTED.—Section 8(d)(1)(B) of 
the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 
1973gg—6(d)(1)(B)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(B)(i) has not voted or appeared to vote (and, 
if necessary, correct the registrar’s record of the reg-
istrant’s address) in any election for public office 
held in the registrar’s jurisdiction during any period 
which begins on the day after the date of a regularly 
scheduled general election for Federal office and 
which ends on the date of the second regularly 
scheduled general election for Federal office held 
after such date; 
‘‘(ii) has been mailed a notice described in para-
graph (2) by the appropriate voting registrar after 
the expiration of the period described in clause (i); 
and 
‘‘(iii) has failed to respond to such notice prior 
to the expiration of the 60-day period which begins 
on the date such notice is mailed.’’.
(b) CONTENTS OF NOTICE.—Section 8(d)(2)(A) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg—6(d)(2)(A)) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(A) If the registrant did not change his or her 
residence, or changed residence but remained in the 
registrar’s jurisdiction, the registrant should return 
the card prior to the expiration of the 60-day period 
which begins on the date the notice is mailed. If the 
card is not returned prior to the expiration of such 
period, the registrant’s name will be removed from 
the list of registered voters.’’. 
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 
respect to regularly scheduled general elections for Fed-
eral office beginning with the election scheduled to be held 
in November 2006. 
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