Save Voters Act
Bill: H.R.966 | Sponsor: Rep. Beatty, Joyce (D-OH)
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Save Voters Act
This bill prohibits a state from removing registrants from the official list of eligible voters unless it meets certain verification and notice requirements.
Specifically, the bill prohibits a state from removing a registrant from the official list of eligible voters unless it verifies, on the basis of objective and reliable evidence, that the registrant is ineligible to vote in federal elections. Further, a state is prohibited from considering failure to vote in an election or failure to respond to a notice as evidence of ineligibility to vote.
Additionally, the bill requires a state to provide individual registrants who are removed with a notice, which must include the grounds for the removal and information on contesting the removal. Public notice must be provided after conducting any general program to remove the names of ineligible voters.

To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to prohibit a 
 State from removing the name of any registrant from the official list 
of voters eligible to vote in elections for Federal office in the State 
   unless the State verifies, on the basis of objective and reliable 
 evidence, that the registrant is ineligible to vote in such elections.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Save Voters Act''.

SEC. 2. CONDITIONS FOR REMOVAL OF VOTERS FROM LIST OF REGISTERED 
              VOTERS.

    (a) Conditions Described.--The National Voter Registration Act of 
1993 (52 U.S.C. 20501 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 8 
the following new section:

``SEC. 8A. CONDITIONS FOR REMOVAL OF VOTERS FROM OFFICIAL LIST OF 
              REGISTERED VOTERS.

    ``(a) Verification on Basis of Objective and Reliable Evidence of 
Ineligibility.--
            ``(1) Requiring verification.--Notwithstanding any other 
        provision of this Act, a State may not remove the name of any 
        registrant from the official list of voters eligible to vote in 
        elections for Federal office in the State unless the State 
        verifies, on the basis of objective and reliable evidence, that 
        the registrant is ineligible to vote in such elections.
            ``(2) Factors not considered as objective and reliable 
        evidence of ineligibility.--For purposes of paragraph (1), the 
        following factors, or any combination thereof, shall not be 
        treated as objective and reliable evidence of a registrant's 
        ineligibility to vote:
                    ``(A) The failure of the registrant to vote in any 
                election.
                    ``(B) The failure of the registrant to respond to 
                any notice sent under section 8(d), unless the notice 
                has been returned as undeliverable.
                    ``(C) The failure of the registrant to take any 
                other action with respect to voting in any election or 
                with respect to the registrant's status as a 
                registrant.
    ``(b) Notice After Removal.--
            ``(1) Notice to individual removed.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 48 hours after a 
                State removes the name of a registrant from the 
                official list of eligible voters for any reason, the 
                State shall send notice of the removal to the former 
                registrant, and shall include in the notice the grounds 
                for the removal and information on how the former 
                registrant may contest the removal or be reinstated, 
                including a telephone number for the appropriate 
                election official.
                    ``(B) Exceptions.--Subparagraph (A) does not apply 
                in the case of a registrant--
                            ``(i) who sends written confirmation to the 
                        State that the registrant is no longer eligible 
                        to vote in the registrar's jurisdiction in 
                        which the registrant was registered; or
                            ``(ii) who is removed from the official 
                        list of eligible voters by reason of the death 
                        of the registrant.
            ``(2) Public notice.--Not later than 48 hours after 
        conducting any general program to remove the names of 
        ineligible voters from the official list of eligible voters (as 
        described in section 8(a)(4)), the State shall disseminate a 
        public notice through such methods as may be reasonable to 
        reach the general public (including by publishing the notice in 
        a newspaper of wide circulation or posting the notice on the 
        websites of the appropriate election officials) that list 
        maintenance is taking place and that registrants should check 
        their registration status to ensure no errors or mistakes have 
        been made. The State shall ensure that the public notice 
        disseminated under this paragraph is in a format that is 
        reasonably convenient and accessible to voters with 
        disabilities, including voters who have low vision or are 
        blind.''.
    (b) Conditions for Transmission of Notices of Removal.--Section 
8(d) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20507(d)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new paragraph:
            ``(4) A State may not transmit a notice to a registrant 
        under this subsection unless the State obtains objective and 
        reliable evidence (in accordance with the standards for such 
        evidence which are described in section 8A(a)(2)) that the 
        registrant has changed residence to a place outside the 
        registrar's jurisdiction in which the registrant is 
        registered.''.
    (c) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) National voter registration act of 1993.--Section 8(a) 
        of such Act (52 U.S.C. 20507(a)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (3), by striking ``provide'' and 
                inserting ``subject to section 8A, provide''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by striking ``conduct'' and 
                inserting ``subject to section 8A, conduct''.
            (2) Help america vote act of 2002.--Section 303(a)(4)(A) of 
        the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21083(a)(4)(A)) is 
        amended by striking ``, registrants'' and inserting ``, and 
        subject to section 8A of such Act, registrants''.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
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