Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2013_SESSIONS/RS/amendments/SB535%20HFIN%20AM%204-9.htm
Timestamp: 2018-04-22 04:48:06
Document Index: 533866504

Matched Legal Cases: ['§1973', '§1973', '§301', '§401', '§1973', '§3', '§3', '§1973', '§1973', '§1973']

SB535 HFIN AM 4-9
SB535 HFIN AM 4-9McO
"ARTICLE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS AND DEFINITIONS.
Citizens of the state shall be entitled to vote at all elections held within the precincts of the counties and municipalities in which they respectively reside. But no person who has not been registered as a voter as required by law, or who is a minor, or of unsound mind who has been declared mentally incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction, or who is under conviction of treason, felony or bribery in an election, or who is not a bona fide resident of the state, county or municipality in which he or she offers to vote, shall be permitted to vote at such election while such disability continues, unless otherwise specifically provided by federal or state code. Subject to the qualifications otherwise prescribed in this section, however, a minor shall be permitted to vote only in a primary election if he or she will have reached the age of eighteen years on the date of the general election next to be held after such primary election.
(b) Any person who has been convicted of a felony, treason or bribery in an election, under either state or federal law, is disqualified and is not eligible to register or to continue to be registered to vote while serving his or her sentence, including any period of incarceration, probation or parole related thereto. Any person who has been determined to be declared mentally incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction is disqualified and shall not be eligible to register or to continue to be registered to vote for as long as that determination remains in effect disability continues .
(2) The computerized list statewide voter registration database shall contain the name, registration information and voter history of every legally registered voter in the state.
(3) Under the computerized list, In the statewide voter registration database, the Secretary of State shall assign a unique identifier to each legally registered voter in the state.
(4) The computerized list statewide voter registration database shall be coordinated with other agency databases within the state; and elsewhere, as appropriate. including, but not limited to, the vital statistics database maintained by the Department of Health and Human Resources. The Department of Health and Human Resources by January 31st of each calendar year shall provide to each county clerk a list from this database of all decedents in that county in the preceding year and shall provide to the Secretary of State the list of all decedents in the state in the preceding year.
(5) The Secretary of State, and any clerk of the county commission or any authorized designee of the Secretary of State or clerk of the county commission may obtain immediate electronic access to the information contained in the computerized list statewide voter registration database.
(6) The clerk of the county commission shall electronically enter voter registration information into the computerized list statewide voter registration database on an expedited basis at the time the information is provided to the clerk.
(8) The computerized list statewide voter registration database shall serve as the official voter registration list for conducting all elections in the state.
(b) The Secretary of State or any clerk of a county commission shall perform maintenance with respect to the computerized list statewide voter registration database on a regular basis as follows:
(1) If an individual is to be removed from the computerized list statewide voter registration database, he or she shall be removed in accordance with the provisions of 42 U. S. C. §1973gg, et seq., the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
(2) The Secretary of State shall coordinate the computerized list statewide voter registration database with state agency records and remove the shall establish procedures for the removal of names of individuals who are not qualified to vote because of felony status or death. : Provided, That No state agency may withhold information regarding a voter's status as deceased or as a felon unless ordered by a court of law. : Provided further, the Secretary of State shall, in each calendar year, certify that the removal of individuals who are not qualified to vote because of a felony conviction as provided in section two of this article or death is completed at least thirty days preceding the date of any primary election.
(c) The list maintenance performed under subsection (b) of this section shall be conducted in a manner that ensures that: (1) The name of each registered voter appears in the computerized list statewide voter registration database;
(2) Only voters who are not registered, who have requested in writing that their voter registration be canceled or who are not eligible to vote are removed from the computerized list statewide voter registration database;
(3) Duplicate names are eliminated from the computerized list statewide voter registration database; and
(4) Deceased individuals individuals' names are eliminated from the computerized list statewide voter registration database.
(d) The Secretary of State and the clerks of all county commissions shall provide adequate technological security measures to prevent the unauthorized access to the computerized list statewide voter registration database established under this section.
(1) A system of file maintenance that makes a reasonable effort to remove registrants who are ineligible to vote from the official list of eligible voters. Under the system, consistent with 42 U. S. C. §1973gg, et seq., registrants who have not responded to a notice sent pursuant to section twenty six, article two of this chapter, who have not otherwise updated their voter registration address and who have not voted in two consecutive general elections for federal office shall be removed from the official list of eligible voters, except that no registrant may be removed solely by reason of a failure to vote; and
_____(2)(3) Through safeguards to ensure that eligible voters are not removed in error from the official list of eligible voters.
(2) If an applicant for voter registration has not been issued a current and valid driver's license, Division of Motor Vehicles' Vehicles identification card or a Social Security number, the Secretary of State shall assign the applicant a number which will serve to identify the applicant for voter registration purposes. To the extent that the state has a computerized list in effect under this section and the list assigns unique identifying numbers to registrants, The number assigned under this section subdivision shall be the unique identifying number assigned under the list statewide voter registration database.
(h) The Commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles shall enter into an agreement with the Commissioner of Social Security under 42 U. S. C. §301 §401, et seq., the Social Security Act. All fees associated with this agreement shall be paid for from moneys in the fund created under section twelve of this article two of this chapter.
(2) "Active voter registration files records" means the files of registration records, whether maintained on paper forms or in digitized data electronic format, containing the names, addresses, birth dates and other required information for all persons within a county who are registered to vote and whose registration has not been designated as "inactive" inactive or "canceled" canceled pursuant to the provisions of this article.
(3) "Inactive voter registration files records" means the files of registration records, whether maintained on paper forms or in digitized data electronic format, containing the names, addresses, birth dates and other required information for all persons designated "inactive" inactive pursuant to the provisions of section twenty-seven of this article following the return of the prescribed notices as undeliverable at the address provided by the United States Postal Service or entered on the voter registration, . For the purposes of this chapter or of any other provisions of this code relating to elections conducted under the provisions of this chapter, whenever a requirement is based on the number of registered voters, including, but not limited to, the number of ballots to be printed, the limitations on the size of a precinct, or the number of petition signatures required for election purposes, only those registrations included on the active voter registration files shall be counted and voter registrations included on the inactive voter registration files, as defined in this subdivision, shall not be counted. or for failure of the contacted voter to return a completed confirmation notice within thirty days of the mailing.
(7) "Confirmation pending records" means the records containing all required information for persons who have been identified to be included in the next succeeding mailing of address confirmation notices as set forth by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993(42 U. S. C. §1973gg, et seq.).
_____(b) For the purposes of this chapter or of any other provisions of this code relating to elections conducted under the provisions of this chapter, whenever a requirement is based on the number of registered voters, including, but not limited to, the number of ballots to be printed, the limitations on the size of a precinct, or the number of petition signatures required for election purposes, only those registrations included on the active voter registration files shall be counted and voter registrations included on the inactive voter registration files, as defined in this subdivision, shall not be counted.
_____(b) (c) Active voter registration files records, confirmation pending records and inactive voter registration files records may be maintained in the same physical location or database, providing the records are coded, marked or arranged in such a way as to make the status of the registration immediately obvious. Canceled voter registration files records, pending application files records and rejected application files records shall each may be maintained in separate physical locations. or databases. However, all such records shall be maintained in the statewide voter registration database, subject to this article.
_____(c) (d) The effective date of any action affecting any voter's registration status shall be entered on the voter record in the appropriate file, including the effective date of registration, change of name, address or party affiliation or correction of the record, effective date of transfer to inactive status, return to active status or cancellation. When any registration is designated inactive or is canceled, the reason for the designation or cancellation and any reference notation necessary to locate the original documentation related to the change shall be entered on the voter record.
(d) (e) Within one hundred twenty days after each primary, general, municipal or special election, the clerk of the county commission shall as evidenced by the presence or absence of signatures on the pollbooks for such election, correct any errors or omissions on the voter registration records resulting from the poll clerks erroneously checking or failing to check the registration records as required by the provisions of section thirty-four, article one of this chapter, or shall enter the voting records into the state uniform data system if the precinct books have been replaced with printed registration books as provided in section twenty-one of this article. statewide voter registration database.
§3-2-19. Maintenance of active and inactive registration files in precinct record books and county alphabetical registration file records for municipal elections.
(b) The clerk of the county commission shall appoint all personnel authorized to add, change or transfer voter registration information within the state uniform voter data system statewide voter registration database, and a record of each appointment and the date of authorization shall be entered as provided in subsection (a) of this section. The assignment and confidential record of assigned system identification or authorized user code for each person appointed shall be as prescribed by the Secretary of State.
(c) Voter registration records entered into and maintained in the state uniform voter data system statewide voter registration database shall include the information required for application for voter registration, for maintenance of registration and voting records, for conduct of elections and for statistical purposes, as prescribed by the Secretary of State.
(e) The clerk of the county commission shall maintain, within the data system statewide voter registration database, active and inactive voter registration files records, confirmation pending records, canceled voter registration files records, pending application files records and rejected application files records, all as defined in section eighteen of this article.
(f) Upon receipt of a completed voter registration application, the clerk shall enter into the statewide voter registration database the information provided on the application, mark the records as pending and into the pending application file and initiate the verification or notice of disposition procedure as provided in section sixteen of this article. Upon completion of the verification or notice of disposition, the status of the voter record shall be transferred to the proper file properly noted in the statewide voter registration database.
(h) Upon receipt of an application or written confirmation from the an inactive voter of a change of address within the county, change of name, change of party affiliation or other correction to a registration record, in the inactive voter registration file, the any necessary change shall be entered in the record, the required notice of disposition mailed and the record transferred updated to the active registration file or returned to active status, and the date of the transaction shall be recorded. Receipt of an application or written confirmation from an inactive voter that confirms the voter's current address shall be treated in the same manner.
(a)(1) Upon the voter's death as verified by:
(1)(A) A death certificate from the Registrar of Vital Statistics or a notice from the Secretary of State that a comparison of the records of the registrar with the county voter registration records show the person to be deceased;
(2)(B) The publication of an obituary or other writing clearly identifying the deceased person by name, residence and age corresponding to the voter record; or
(3)(C) An affidavit signed by the parent, legal guardian, child, sibling or spouse of the voter giving the name and birth date of the voter, and date and place of death;
(b)(2) Upon receipt of an official notice from a state or federal court that the person has been convicted of a felony, of treason or bribery in an election; in which event, the clerk shall enter a notation on the voter record of the date upon which the term of any sentence for such conviction will cease, unless sooner vacated by court action or pardon;
(c)(3) Upon receipt of a notice from the appropriate court of competent jurisdiction of a determination of a voter's mental incompetence;
(d)(4) Upon receipt from the voter registration of a written request to cancel the voter's registration, upon confirmation by the voter of a change of address to an address outside the county, upon notice from a voter registrar of another jurisdiction outside the county or state of the receipt of an application for voter registration in that jurisdiction, or upon notice from the Secretary of State that a voter registration application was accepted in another county of the state subsequent to the last registration date in the first county, as determined from a comparison of voter records; or
__(e)(5) Upon failure to respond and produce evidence of continued eligibility to register following the challenge of the voter's registration pursuant to the provisions of section twenty- eight of this article.; or
§3-2-25. Systematic purging program for removal of ineligible voters from active voter registration records files; comparison of data records; confirmation notices; public inspection list. for counties with state approved uniform voter data system; modified program for counties using other digitized record storage systems.
(a) In any county maintaining active voter registration files in the state uniform voter data system, as defined in section twenty of this article, The systematic purging program provided for in this section shall begin no earlier than October 1 of each odd- numbered year and shall be completed no later than February 1 of the following year. The clerk of the county commission shall transmit or mail on data disk to the Secretary of State a copy of the digitized records contained in the active voter registration file as of October 1, to be received by the Secretary of State no later than October 15, . to the Secretary of State a certification that the systematic purging program has been completed and all voters identified as no longer eligible to vote have been canceled in the statewide voter registration database in accordance with the law no later than February 15 in the year in which the purging program is completed.
(d) The records of all of the voters of all participating counties not identified pursuant to the procedures set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of this section shall be combined for comparison with United States Postal Service change of address information, as described in section 8(c)(A) of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U. S. C. §1973gg, et seq.). The Secretary of State shall contract with an authorized vendor of the United States Postal Service to perform the comparison. Not less than thirty percent nor more than fifty percent of The cost of the change of address comparison procedure shall be paid for from the combined voter registration and licensing fund established in section twelve of this article and participating counties shall reimburse the fund for the balance of the cost prorated on a per voter basis the cost of the confirmation notices, labels and postage shall be paid for by the counties.
(2) The clerk of the county commission shall then mail to each voter who appears to have moved from the residence address shown on the registration records a confirmation notice pursuant to section twenty-six of this article and of section 8(d)(2) of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U. S. C. §1973gg, et seq.). The notice shall be mailed, no later than December 31, to the new address provided by the postal service records or to the old address if a new address is not available.
(h) For purposes of complying with the record keeping and public inspection requirements of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U. S. C. §1973gg, et seq.), and with the provisions of section twenty-seven of this article, the public inspection lists shall be maintained either in printed form kept in a binder prepared for such purpose and available for public inspection during regular business hours at the office of the clerk of the county commission or in read-only data format available for public inspection on computer terminals set aside and available for regular use by the general public. Information concerning whether or not each person has responded to the notice shall be entered onto the list into the statewide voter registration database upon receipt and shall be available for public inspection as of the date the information is received.
(i) Any voter to whom a confirmation notice was mailed pursuant to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section who fails to respond to the notice or to update his or her voter registration address by February 1 immediately following the completion of the program, shall be designated inactive and placed within the inactive voter registration file, as defined in section nineteen of this article. in the statewide voter registration database. Any voter designated inactive shall be required to affirm his or her current residence address, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State, upon appearing at the polls to vote.
(1) Individual canceled registration records shall be maintained in a regularly accessible data file the statewide voter registration database for a period of at least three five years following cancellation. Upon the expiration of three five years, those individual records may be removed from the regularly accessible canceled registration file and stored on tape or disk The records removed may be added to a single file containing previously canceled registration records for permanent storage, and the tape or disk shall be clearly labeled. statewide voter registration database and disposed of in accordance with the appropriate documentent retention policy.
(2) Rejected registration record files records shall be maintained in the same manner as provided for canceled registration files records.
(3) At least once each calendar year, during the month of February, a data format copy of the active registration file, inactive registration file and pending application file shall be made containing all records maintained in those files as of the date of the copy. The copy shall be stored on tape or disk and shall be clearly labeled with the types of files and the date the copy was made.".