§20504 — Title 52 Voting and Elections | U.S. Code

Summary

When you apply for or renew a State driver’s license, that form must also act as a voter registration form for federal elections unless you do not sign the voter part. If you do sign it, it replaces or updates any old voter registration you have. If you don’t sign, that fact can only be used for voter registration and nothing else. Every State license form must include a short voter registration section that asks only the extra information needed to stop duplicate registrations and check if you can vote. It must list the eligibility rules (including citizenship), have you say you meet them, and have your signature under penalty of perjury. The form must also include certain ID information required by federal law, say that refusing to register is kept confidential, and say that where you file will be kept confidential. Driver license address changes count as voter address changes unless you say they should not. Completed voter parts taken by the motor vehicle office must be sent to election officials within 10 days, or within 5 days if the acceptance is within 5 days of the registration deadline.

Title 52, §20504

Voting and Elections — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Each State motor vehicle driver’s license application (including any renewal application) submitted to the appropriate State motor vehicle authority under State law shall serve as an application for voter registration with respect to elections for Federal office unless the applicant fails to sign the voter registration application.

(2)An application for voter registration submitted under paragraph (1) shall be considered as updating any previous voter registration by the applicant.

(b)No information relating to the failure of an applicant for a State motor vehicle driver’s license to sign a voter registration application may be used for any purpose other than voter registration.

(c)(1)Each State shall include a voter registration application form for elections for Federal office as part of an application for a State motor vehicle driver’s license.

(2)The voter registration application portion of an application for a State motor vehicle driver’s license—

(A)may not require any information that duplicates information required in the driver’s license portion of the form (other than a second signature or other information necessary under subparagraph (C));

(B)may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to—

(i)prevent duplicate voter registrations; and

(ii)enable State election officials to assess the eligibility of the applicant and to administer voter registration and other parts of the election process;

(C)shall include a statement that—

(i)states each eligibility requirement (including citizenship);

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

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

(D)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; and

(E)shall be made available (as submitted by the applicant, or in machine readable or other format) to the appropriate State election official as provided by State law.

(d)Any change of address form submitted in accordance with State law for purposes of a State motor vehicle driver’s license shall serve as notification of change of address for voter registration with respect to elections for Federal office for the registrant involved unless the registrant states on the form that the change of address is not for voter registration purposes.

(e)(1)Subject to paragraph (2), a completed voter registration portion of an application for a State motor vehicle driver’s license accepted at a State motor vehicle authority shall be transmitted to the appropriate State election official not later than 10 days after the date of acceptance.

(2)If a registration application is accepted within 5 days before the last day for registration to vote in an election, the application shall be transmitted to the appropriate State election official not later than 5 days after the date of acceptance.

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 1973gg–3 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

§20504 Simultaneous Application for Voter Registration and Application for Motor Vehicle Driver’s License

Summary

Title 52, §20504

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

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