Signed by Governor Janet Mills

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes an automatic voter registration system.

Highlights:

• Requires the Bureau to scan documentation provided by an individual applying for a driver’s license or a nondriver identification card from the Bureau, and create a pending voter registration record for that individual to be stored electronically in the Bureau’s database (Sec. 6).

• Defines “Bureau” as the Department of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles (Sec. 6).

• Requires the registrar of voters to determine whether an individual whose pending voter registration record was transmitted is eligible to and registered to vote in the central voter registration system, and if the individual is eligible to vote but not registered in the system the registrar must enter the individual’s information into the system (Sec. 6).

• Requires the Bureau’s database to indicate on the pending voter registration record that an individual has fulfilled the citizenship requirement for the purpose of registering to vote, if an individual provides a document that proves they are a United States citizen (Sec. 6).

• Requires the Bureau to transmit electronically the individual’s pending voter registration records to the applicable registrar of voters and uploaded into the central voter registration system, unless the individual has opted out of automatic voter registration (Sec. 6).

• Requires the secretary of state to audit the central voter registration system for quality of data prior to implementation of the automatic voter registration system and must periodically conduct regular audits to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data (Sec. 6).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes an automatic voter registration system.

Highlights:

• Requires the Bureau to scan documentation provided by an individual applying for a driver’s license or a nondriver identification card from the Bureau, and create a pending voter registration record for that individual to be stored electronically in the Bureau’s database (Sec. 6).

• Defines “Bureau” as the Department of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles (Sec. 6).

• Requires the registrar of voters to determine whether an individual whose pending voter registration record was transmitted is eligible to and registered to vote in the central voter registration system, and if the individual is eligible to vote but not registered in the system the registrar must enter the individual’s information into the system (Sec. 6).

• Requires the Bureau’s database to indicate on the pending voter registration record that an individual has fulfilled the citizenship requirement for the purpose of registering to vote, if an individual provides a document that proves they are a United States citizen (Sec. 6).

• Requires the Bureau to transmit electronically the individual’s pending voter registration records to the applicable registrar of voters and uploaded into the central voter registration system, unless the individual has opted out of automatic voter registration (Sec. 6).

• Requires the secretary of state to audit the central voter registration system for quality of data prior to implementation of the automatic voter registration system and must periodically conduct regular audits to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data (Sec. 6).

Full Bill Text