PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

States must offer ways for people to register to vote in federal elections, in addition to any methods the State already has. Those ways must include registering when someone applies for a driver’s license, registering by mail, and registering in person at the local registration site for the person’s home and at certain federal, state, or nongovernmental offices. Two kinds of States are not covered. One is a State that had no voter registration requirement for federal elections continuously on and after August 1, 1994. The other is a State whose law, in effect continuously on and after August 1, 1994 or passed on or before August 1, 1994 to take effect when this law began, lets all voters register at the polling place in a general federal election, and that exception lasts only while that law stays in effect.

Title 52, §20503

Voting and Elections, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

Except as provided in subsection (b), notwithstanding any other Federal or State law, in addition to any other method of voter registration provided for under State law, each State shall establish procedures to register to vote in elections for Federal office—

(1)by application made simultaneously with an application for a motor vehicle driver’s license pursuant to section 20504 of this title;

(2)by mail application pursuant to section 20505 of this title; and

(3)by application in person—

(A)at the appropriate registration site designated with respect to the residence of the applicant in accordance with State law; and

(B)at a Federal, State, or nongovernmental office designated under section 20506 of this title.

(b)Nonapplicability to certain States

This chapter does not apply to a State described in either or both of the following paragraphs: (1)

(2)A State in which, under law that is in effect continuously on and after August 1, 1994, or that was enacted on or prior to August 1, 1994, and by its terms is to come into effect upon the enactment of this chapter, so long as that law remains in effect, all voters in the State may register to vote at the polling place at the time of voting in a general election for Federal office.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Upon the enactment of this chapter, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), means the date of enactment of Pub. L. 103–31, which was approved May 20, 1993. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 1973gg–2 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section. Amendment by Pub. L. 104–91 is based on section 116(a) of H.R. 2076, One Hundred Fourth Congress, as passed by the House of Representatives on Dec. 6, 1995, which was enacted into law by Pub. L. 104–91.

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–91, as amended by Pub. L. 104–99, substituted “

August 1, 1994” for “

March 11, 1993” wherever appearing.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1996 Amendment section 116(b) of H.R. 2076, One Hundred Fourth Congress, as passed by the House of Representatives on Dec. 6, 1995, and as enacted into law by Pub. L. 104–91, title I, § 101(a), Jan. 6, 1996, 110 Stat. 11, as amended by Pub. L. 104–99, title II, § 211, Jan. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 37, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall take effect as if included in the provisions of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 [Pub. L. 103–31, see Tables for classification].”

§20503 National Procedures for Voter Registration for Elections for Federal Office

Summary

Title 52, §20503

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Amendments

Citations & Metadata