Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb2781%20intr.htm&yr=2017&sesstype=RS&i=2781&link_id=20&can_id=e3ecda14e71d4b7c150ea82908688f8d&source=email-capital-eye-dont-drink-the-corporate-kool-aid&email_referrer=capital-eye-dont-drink-the-corporate-kool-aid&email_subject=capital-eye-dont-drink-the-corporate-kool-aid
Timestamp: 2020-02-23 20:24:04
Document Index: 711679589

Matched Legal Cases: ['§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§3']

HB 2781 Text
Introduced Version House Bill 2781 History
By Delegates Blair, Zatezalo, Householder, Ambler, Hamrick, Anderson, Martin, Maynard and Lewis
A BILL to amend and reenact §3-1-34 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend and reenact §3-2-11 and §3-2-12 of said code, all relating to voting procedures; requiring a person desiring to vote to present documentation identifying the voter to one of the poll clerks; setting forth the requirements for that documentation; identifying acceptable documentation; directing the Secretary of State to educate voters about the identification requirement and develop a program to help ensure that all eligible voters obtain identification; providing for casting of provisional ballot by a person without adequate proof of identification; providing certain exemptions from the requirement to present a photo identification card; modifying provisional ballot procedures; providing for issuance of identification cards at no charge; establishing procedures for persons over a certain age and lacking certain documents to acquire photo identification cards; repealing the automatic voter’s registration program concurrent with application for a driver’s license; and repealing funding for that program.
That §3-1-34 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; and that §3-2-11 and §3-2-12 of said code be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
(a) A person desiring to vote in an election shall, upon entering the election room, clearly state his or her name and residence to one of the poll clerks who shall thereupon announce the same in a clear and distinct tone of voice. For elections occurring on or after January 1, 2018, the person desiring to vote shall present to one of the poll clerks a valid identifying document meeting the requirements of subdivisions (1) or (2) of this subsection, and the poll clerk shall inspect and confirm that the name on the valid identifying document conforms to the name in the individual's voter registration record and that, if the valid identifying document contains a photograph, the image displayed on the identifying document is truly an image of the person presenting the document. If that person is found to be duly registered as a voter at that precinct, he or she shall sign his or her name in the designated location provided at the precinct. If that person is physically or otherwise unable to sign his or her name, his or her mark shall be affixed by one of the poll clerks in the presence of the other and the name of the poll clerk affixing the voter's mark shall be indicated immediately under the affixation. No ballot may be given to the person until he or she signs his or her name on the designated location or his or her signature is affixed thereon.
(D) A valid employee identification card with a photograph of the eligible voter issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the United States Government or of the State of West Virginia, or by any county, municipality, board, authority, or other political subdivision of West Virginia; or
(F) (E) A valid military identification card issued by the United States with a photograph of the person desiring to vote.
(5) (3) If the person desiring to vote is unable to furnish a valid identifying document, or if the poll clerk determines that the proof of identification presented by the voter does not qualify as a valid identifying document, the person desiring to vote shall be permitted to cast a provisional ballot after executing an affidavit affirming his or her identity pursuant to paragraph (B) of this subdivision.
(6) (4) A voter who votes in person at a precinct polling place that is located in a building which is part of a state licensed care facility where the voter is a resident is not required to provide proof of identification as a condition before voting in an election.
(7) (5) If the voter objects to the photograph requirement because of religious beliefs, he or she may execute an affidavit of religious exemption that shall be in the following form:
(6) The person entering voter information into the centralized voter registration database shall cause the records to indicate when a voter has not presented a valid identifying document and has executed a voter identity affidavit.
(8) (7) If a voter participating in the Address Confidentiality Program established by section one hundred three, article twenty-eight-a, chapter forty-eight of this code, executes a voter identity affidavit, the program participant's residential or mailing address is subject to the confidentiality provisions of section one hundred eight, article twenty-eight-a, chapter forty-eight of this code and shall be used only for those statutory and administrative purposes authorized by this section.
(9) (8) Prior to the primary and general elections to be held in calendar year 2018, the Secretary of State shall educate voters about the requirement to present a valid identifying document and develop a program to help ensure that all eligible voters are able to obtain a valid identifying document.
ARTICLE 2. REGISTRATION OF VOTERS
(a) The Division of Motor Vehicles or other division or department that may be established by law to perform motor vehicle driver licensing services shall obtain, provide each qualified registrant, as an integral and simultaneous part of every process of application for the issuance, renewal or change of address of a motor vehicle driver's license or official identification card pursuant to the provisions of article two, chapter seventeen-b of this code, an opportunity to register to vote or update their voter registration when the division's regional offices are open for regular business, and if the registrant opts to do so, the Division of Motor Vehicles shall obtain the following information from each qualified registrant:
(10) (9) Whether the applicant affirmatively declined to become registered to vote during the transaction with the Division of Motor Vehicles;
(11) (10) Date of application; and
(12) (11) Any other information specified in rules adopted to implement this section.
(b) Unless If the applicant affirmatively declines chooses to become registered to vote or update their voter registration during the transaction with the Division of Motor Vehicles, the Division of Motor Vehicles shall release all of the information obtained pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, together with verification that the applicant has proven that he or she meets all voter eligibility requirements, including United States citizenship, to the Secretary of State, who shall forward the information to the county clerk for the relevant county to process the newly registered voter or updated information for the already-registered voter pursuant to law. Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, if the applicant affirmatively declines to become registered to vote, the Division of Motor Vehicles is required to release the first name, middle name, last name, premarital name, if applicable, complete residence address, complete date of birth of an applicant and the applicant's electronic signature, entered in the division's records for driver license or nonoperator identification purposes to the Secretary of State in order to facilitate any future attempt of the applicant to register to vote online, along with the notation that the applicant affirmatively declined to become registered at that time. The Division of Motor Vehicles shall notify that applicant that by submitting his or her signature, the applicant grants written consent for the submission of the information obtained and required to be submitted to the Secretary of State pursuant to this section.
(c) Information regarding a person's failure to sign the voter registration application is confidential and may not be used for any purpose other than to determine voter registration.
(d) A qualified voter who submits the required information or update to his or her voter registration, pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, in person at a driver licensing facility at the time of applying for, obtaining, renewing or transferring his or her driver's license or official identification card and who presents identification and proof of age at that time is not required to make his or her first vote in person or to again present identification in order to make that registration valid.
(g) A change of address from one residence to another within the same county which is submitted for driver licensing or nonoperator's identification purposes in accordance with applicable law serves as a notice of change of address for voter registration purposes if requested by the applicant after notice and written consent of the applicant.
(i) Voter registration application forms containing voter information which are returned to a driver licensing office unsigned shall be collected by the Division of Motor Vehicles, submitted to the Secretary of State and maintained by the Secretary of State's office according to the retention policy adopted by the Secretary of State.
(m) The changes made to this section during the 2016 Regular Legislative Session shall become effective on July 1, 2017, and any costs associated therewith shall be paid by the Division of Motor Vehicles. If the Division of Motor Vehicles is unable to meet the requirements of this section by February 1, 2017, it shall make a presentation to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance explaining any resources necessary to meet the requirements or any changes to the code that it recommends immediately prior to the 2017 Regular Legislative Session.
(1) Printing and distribution of combined driver licensing or other agency applications and voter registration forms, or for the printing of voter registration forms to be used in conjunction with driver licensing or other agency applications; or for implementing the automatic voter registration program authorized in section eleven of this article
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require voters to provide a photo identification when voting, to identify the requirements for those photo identifications, to set forth certain qualifying identification documents, to provide for provisional ballots to be cast by voters who do not possess the required photo identification, to allow for certain exemptions for those who live in nursing care facilities where precincts are located and those with religious objections to having their photograph taken, to update provisional ballot procedures, to provide for complimentary photo identification cards to a voter upon request and representation that the photo identification card is requested for the purpose of voting, to establish procedures for persons over a certain age and lacking certain documents to acquire photo identification cards. Additionally, the bill does away with automatic voter registration on the occasion of application for a driver’s license.