71st OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2001 Regular Session
 
NOTE:  Matter within  { +  braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within  { -  braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
 { +  braces and plus signs + } .
 
LC 1919
 
                         House Bill 2435
 
Ordered printed by the Speaker pursuant to House Rule 12.00A (5).
  Presession filed (at the request of Representative Bill Witt)
 
 
                             SUMMARY
 
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.
 
  Requires person registering to vote in Oregon for first time to
provide additional signature attesting to United States
citizenship.
 
                        A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to voter registration; creating new provisions; and
  amending ORS 247.012 and 247.171.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
  SECTION 1. ORS 247.171 is amended to read:
  247.171. (1) Except as provided in this subsection, the
Secretary of State shall design, prepare and distribute state
voter registration cards. The Secretary of State shall also
distribute federal registration cards. Any person may apply in
writing to the Secretary of State for permission to print, copy
or otherwise prepare and distribute the registration cards
designed by the Secretary of State. The secretary may revoke any
permission granted under this subsection at any time. All
registration cards shall be distributed to the public without
charge.
  (2) The Secretary of State shall approve any voter registration
application form developed for use by the Department of
Transportation under ORS 247.017 or by any other agency
designated a voter registration agency under ORS 247.208.
  (3) Each voter registration card designed or approved by the
Secretary of State shall describe the penalties for knowingly
supplying false information on the registration card and shall
contain space for a person to provide the following information:
  (a) Full name;
  (b) Residence address, mailing address or any other information
necessary to locate the residence of the person offering to
register to vote;
  (c) The name of the political party with which the person is
affiliated, if any;
  (d) Date of birth;
  (e) An indication that the person is a citizen of the United
States;   { - and - }
  (f) A signature attesting to the fact that the person is
qualified to be an elector { + ; and
 
 
  (g) For persons who are registering to vote for the first time
in Oregon, an additional signature attesting to the fact that the
person is a citizen of the United States + }.
  (4) Any form containing a voter registration card may also
include space for a person to provide:
  (a) A telephone number where the person may be contacted; and
  (b) If previously registered to vote in this state, the name
then supplied by the person and the county and, if known, the
address of previous registration.
  (5) A person shall not supply any information under subsection
(3) or (4) of this section knowing it to be false.
  (6) A county clerk or other person accepting registration cards
shall not request any information unless it is authorized by
state or federal law.
  (7) A person shall attest to the information supplied on the
voter registration card by signing the completed registration
card.
  (8) Any completed and signed registration card described in
subsection (3) of this section shall be the official registration
card of the elector.
  SECTION 2. ORS 247.012 is amended to read:
  247.012. (1) A qualified person may register to vote or update
a registration to vote by:
  (a) Delivering by mail or otherwise a completed registration
card to any county clerk, the Secretary of State, any office of
the Department of Transportation or any designated voter
registration agency as described in ORS 247.208;
  (b) Personally delivering the card to an official designated by
a county clerk under subsection (7) of this section; or
  (c) Completing the voter registration portion of the
application for issuance or renewal of a driver license, issuance
of a state identification card under ORS 807.400 or a change of
address at an office of the Department of Transportation under
ORS 247.017.
  (2) If a registration card is mailed or delivered to:
  (a) Any person other than a county clerk or the Secretary of
State, the person shall forward the card to a county clerk or the
Secretary of State not later than the fifth day after receiving
the card; or
  (b) The Secretary of State or a county clerk for a county other
than the county in which the person applying for registration
resides, the Secretary of State or county clerk shall forward the
card to the county clerk for the county in which the person
resides not later than the fifth day after receiving the card.
  (3) Registration of a qualified person occurs:
  (a) When a legible, accurate and complete registration card is
received in the office of any county clerk, the Office of the
Secretary of State, an office of the Department of
Transportation, a designated voter registration agency under ORS
247.208 or at a location designated by a county clerk under
subsection (7) of this section;
  (b) On the date a registration card is postmarked if the card
is received after the 21st day immediately preceding an election
but is postmarked not later than the 21st day immediately
preceding the election; or
  (c) In the case of a registration card missing a date of birth,
containing an incomplete date of birth or containing an
unintentional scrivener's error that is supplied or corrected as
described in subsection (4) or (6) of this section, on the date
that registration would have occurred if the registration card
had not been missing the date of birth, contained an incomplete
date of birth or contained the scrivener's error.
  (4) If a registration card is legible, accurate and contains,
at a minimum, the registrant's name, residence address, date of
birth { + , + }   { - and - }  signature { +  and, if registering
for the first time in Oregon, an additional signature attesting
to United States citizenship + }, the county clerk shall register
the person. If this information is missing from the registration
card or the date of birth is incomplete, the county clerk shall
attempt to contact the person to obtain the missing or incomplete
information. The county clerk may supply the registrant's date of
birth from any previous registration of the registrant.
  (5) If a registration card meets the requirements of subsection
(4) of this section but is missing an indication of political
party affiliation, the registrant shall be considered not
affiliated with any political party. This subsection does not
apply if an elector is updating a registration within the same
county.
  (6) If a registration card contains an unintentional
scrivener's error, the county clerk may attempt to contact the
person to correct the error.
  (7) A county clerk may appoint officials to accept registration
of persons at designated locations. The appointments and
locations shall be in writing and filed in the office of the
county clerk. The county clerk shall be responsible for the
performance of duties by those appointed.
  (8) A registration card received and accepted under this
section shall be considered an active registration.
  (9) A registration may be updated at any time.
  SECTION 3.  { + The amendments to ORS 247.012 and 247.171 by
sections 1 and 2 of this 2001 Act apply only to persons
registering to vote for the first time in Oregon on or after the
effective date of this 2001 Act. + }
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