§20508 — Title 52 Voting and Elections | U.S. Code

Summary

The Election Assistance Commission must work with state chief election officials to write rules, create a mail voter registration form for federal elections, send Congress a report by June 30 of each odd-numbered year that reviews the last 2-year period and offers improvement ideas, and give states information about their duties under the law. The mail form can only ask for the data needed to check eligibility and run registration (including the applicant’s signature and past registration info). It must list eligibility rules (including citizenship), include an attestation that the applicant meets them and a signature under penalty of perjury, not require notarization, include two other pieces of information the law requires elsewhere, and state that a choice not to register and the office where someone registers are kept confidential and used only for voter registration.

Title 52, §20508

Voting and Elections — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Election Assistance Commission—

(1)in consultation with the chief election officers of the States, shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary to carry out paragraphs (2) and (3);

(2)in consultation with the chief election officers of the States, shall develop a mail voter registration application form for elections for Federal office;

(3)not later than June 30 of each odd-numbered year, shall submit to the Congress a report assessing the impact of this chapter on the administration of elections for Federal office during the preceding 2-year period and including recommendations for improvements in Federal and State procedures, forms, and other matters affected by this chapter; and

(4)shall provide information to the States with respect to the responsibilities of the States under this chapter.

(b)The mail voter registration form developed under subsection (a)(2)—

(1)may require only such identifying information (including the signature of the applicant) and other information (including data relating to previous registration by the applicant), as is necessary to enable the appropriate State election official to assess the eligibility of the applicant and to administer voter registration and other parts of the election process;

(2)shall include a statement that—

(A)specifies each eligibility requirement (including citizenship);

(B)contains an attestation that the applicant meets each such requirement; and

(C)requires the signature of the applicant, under penalty of perjury;

(3)may not include any requirement for notarization or other formal authentication; and

(4)shall include, in print that is identical to that used in the attestation portion of the application—

(i)the information required in section 20507(a)(5)(A) and (B) of this title;

(ii)a statement that, if an applicant declines to register to vote, the fact that the applicant has declined to register will remain confidential and will be used only for voter registration purposes; and

(iii)a statement that if an applicant does register to vote, the office at which the applicant submits a voter registration application will remain confidential and will be used only for voter registration purposes.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 1973gg–7 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Amendments

2002—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–252 substituted “Election Assistance Commission” for “Federal Election Commission” in introductory provisions.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2002 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 107–252 effective upon appointment of all members of the Election Assistance Commission under section 20923 of this title, see section 21134(a) of this title.

§20508 Federal coordination and regulations