Title of Regulation: 1VAC20-40. Voter Registration (amending 1VAC20-40-50, 1VAC20-40-70; repealing 1VAC20-40-80).

Statutory Authority: § 24.2-103 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Hearing Information: A public hearing will be scheduled in January or February, 2014.

Public Comment Deadline: January 13, 2014.

Agency Contact: Martha Brissette, State Board of Elections, 1100 Bank Street, Richmond, VA 23219, telephone (804) 864-8925, FAX (804) 371-0194, or email martha.brissette@sbe.virginia.gov.

Small Business Impact Review Report of Findings: This regulatory action serves as the report of the findings of the regulatory review pursuant to § 2.2-4007.1 of the Code of Virginia.

Summary:

The proposed amendments (i) clarify language related to application signature and determination of residency; (ii) remove a requirement for the registrar to seek information not material to the application; (iii) update referenced forms; and (iv) remove provisions related to absent military and overseas voters, which are being relocated in a separate regulatory action to a new chapter numbered 1VAC20-45.

1VAC20-40-50. Supplemental questions.

When warranted by the situations described in 1VAC20-40-40 C and where any other information on the voter registration application is unclear, the general registrar shall ask the following questions on a form prescribed by the board after notifying the applicant that any response he makes is subject to the same oath he took to sign the application:

1. Are you currently registered to vote at another address? The general registrar shall not ask this question unless the applicant failed to provide the information on the voter registration application.

a. If yes to subdivision 1 of this section, what is that address, and in what county, city, or state is that address located?

b. If yes to subdivision 1 of this section or as indicated on the voter registration application, do you wish to cancel your registration in that county, city, or state and register and establish residence in this county or city in Virginia?

2. Do you have a specific plan to move away from this county or city at a fixed date in the future? If so, when?

1VAC20-40-70. Applications for voter registration; affirmation of United States citizenship.

A. Form and signature.

1. Applications for voter registration shall be on a form approved by the State Board of Elections or appropriate federal agency.

2. Applications for voter registration must be signed by the applicant or the name and address of the assistant entered on the signature line for an applicant with. If the applicant is unable to sign due to a physical disability, the name and address of the person assisting the voter shall be entered on the application according to the form instructions.

B. Material omissions on applications for voter registration in general. The following omissions are not material if any of the following, or combination thereof, exists:

1. Daytime telephone number;

2. Description of a rural address;

3. Mailing address different from residence address;

4. Date of the application;

5. Whether the applicant is interested in working as an election official;

6. Whether the applicant requests to have his residence address excluded from published lists;

7. Whether the applicant has a disability that requires accommodation in order to vote; or

8. Gender.

C. Material omissions from applications for voter registration on a Federal Post Card Application or Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot. The following omissions are not material:

1. Service identification number, rank, grade, or rate on an application that declares active duty military status.

2. Employer name and address on an application that declares temporary overseas residence with no date of last residence.

3. Employer name and address on an application that declares temporary overseas residence with a date of last residence. If practicable, the general registrar should inform the applicant that eligibility for full ballots requires providing the name and address of an employer outside the United States.

4. Date of last residence on an application that declares indefinite overseas residence. The date of last residence for an application declaring indefinite overseas residence without indicating a date of last residence in the United States shall be the date the application is signed.

D. C. Middle name may be material to determining eligibility to vote. If the applicant does not include a middle name the registrar shall:

1. As far as practical, attempt to contact the applicant and obtain his middle name or lack thereof to determine if the application is complete.

2. a. If the applicant indicates that he has no middle name, the registrar shall process the application.

3. b. If the applicant indicates that he has a middle name, the registrar shall inform the applicant that the middle name is required, deny the application, and send the applicant a new application.

4. 2. If the registrar is unable to contact the applicant and therefore unable to determine if the application is incomplete, he shall give the benefit of doubt to the applicant and process the application.

E. Except for gender, the general registrar, if practicable, shall attempt to contact the applicant and obtain the missing information requested on an application for voter registration that is not material to determining eligibility to vote. If the general registrar obtains any missing information, he shall write the information, his name, and the date on the reverse side of the application for voter registration to indicate that the alteration was made by the general registrar.

F. D. A general registrar shall not change information provided by an applicant on an application for voter registration without written authorization signed by the applicant.

G. E. Persons identified as noncitizens in reports from the Department of Motor Vehicles shall have the opportunity to affirm United States citizenship status using any approved voter registration application or other form containing the required affirmation. The State Board of Elections shall automate the process for requesting affirmation of United States citizenship prior to cancellation.

H. F. For cases not covered by this section, the general registrar in consultation with the electoral board and State Board of Elections staff shall determine materiality on a case-by-case basis that may result in further amendment of this regulation.

1VAC20-40-80. Application for registration on Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). (Repealed.)

An applicant eligible for registration who applies for registration simultaneously with a request for an absentee ballot on a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) as authorized by § 24.2-703 of the Code of Virginia may apply for registration as well as request an absentee ballot by facsimile transmission or scanned email attachment. An electronically submitted FPCA shall be sufficient to apply for registration and request an absentee ballot if signed and otherwise complete.

FORMS (1VAC20-40)

Virginia Voter Registration Application Form, VA-NVRA-1 (rev. 02/10)

Virginia Voter Registration Application Form, SBE-416.2 (rev.7/13)

National Voter Registration Application Form, Register to Vote in Your State by Using this Postcard Form and Guide (rev. 3/06)

Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Request, Standard Form 76 (rev. 08/11)

Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB), Voter's Declaration/Affirmation, Standard Form 186 (rev. 08/11)