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Enrolled Version - Final Version House Bill 4013 History

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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted

WEST virginia legislature

2016 regular session

ENROLLED

Committee Substitute

for

House Bill 4013

(By Delegates Lane, Anderson, Blair, Hamrick, Ambler, D. Evans, Border, McCuskey, Householder, Ireland and Zatezalo)

[Passed March 12, 2016; in effect ninety days from passage.]



WEST virginia legislature

2016 regular session

ENROLLED

Committee Substitute

for

House Bill 4013

(By Delegates Lane, Anderson, Blair, Hamrick, Ambler, D. Evans, Border, McCuskey, Householder, Ireland and Zatezalo)

[Passed March 12, 2016; in effect ninety days from passage.]


 

 

AN ACT to amend and reenact §3-1-34 and §3-1-41 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §3-1-51; to amend and reenact §3-2-11 and §3-2-12 of said code; and to amend and reenact §17B-2-1 of said code, all relating to voting procedures; requiring a person desiring to vote on or after January 1, 2018 to present valid document identifying the voter to one of the poll clerks; requiring poll clerk to inspect valid identifying document and confirm information with individual’s voter registration record; requiring poll clerk to confirm, if document contains a photograph, that displayed image is truly an image of the person presenting the document; setting forth requirements for valid identifying document; identifying documents considered to be valid identifying document; permitting registered voter to be accompanied to polling place by adult known to registered voter for at least six months; permitting voter to vote if accompanying adult signs affidavit and presents valid identifying document; authorizing poll worker to allow voter known to the poll worker for at least six months to vote without presenting valid identifying document; permitting person desiring to vote to cast provisional ballot after executing affidavit; setting conditions for counting of provisional ballot; setting content of affidavit to be used for casting provisional ballot; permitting voter who votes in person at precinct polling place located in building which is part of state licensed care facility where voter is resident without presenting valid identifying document; requiring person entering voter information into centralized voter registration database to notate when a voter has not presented valid identifying documentation and executed a voter identity affidavit; making confidential voter’s residential or mailing address if voter is participant in Address Confidentiality Program except for certain statutory and administrative purposes; directing Secretary of State to educate voters about requirement to present valid identifying document; requiring Secretary of State to develop a program to help ensure that all eligible voters obtain identification; directing members of receiving board to challenge the right of person requesting ballot to vote in election if person fails to present valid identifying documentation; modifying provisional ballot procedures; requiring clerk of county commission to send letter to voters who execute voter identity affidavit; setting deadline for letters to be mailed; specifying contents of letter; directing clerk of county commission to cause letters returned as undeliverable to be referred to Secretary of State; directing clerk of county commission to forward to Secretary of State a list of persons who were mailed letters and notified clerk that they did not vote; requiring Secretary of State to investigate to determine whether fraudulent voting occurred; requiring Secretary of State to submit report to Joint Committee on the Judiciary and Joint Committee on Government and Finance detailing results of all investigations of voter identity affidavits; requiring Division of Motor Vehicles to collect certain information from individuals applying for issuance, renewal or change of address of driver’s license or official identification card; requiring Division of Motor Vehicles to release all information obtained to Secretary of State unless applicant affirmatively declines to become registered to vote or update voter registration; requiring Secretary of State to forward information to county clerk for relevant county to process newly registered voter or updated information for already-registered voter; requiring Division of Motor Vehicles to release certain information to Secretary of State if applicant affirmatively declines to become registered to vote; requiring Division of Motor Vehicles to notify applicant that signature submission grants written consent for submission of that information; clarifying that qualified voter who is automatically registered to vote need not present identification in order to make registration valid; directing Secretary of State to establish procedures to protect confidentiality of information obtained from Division of Motor Vehicles; permitting person registered to vote to cancel voter registration at any time; clarifying that Division of Motor Vehicles not required to determine eligibility for voter registration and voting; making changes regarding automatic voter registration effective July 1, 2017; requiring Division of Motor Vehicles report to Joint Committee on Government and Finance if unable to meet requirements by February 1, 2017; directing Secretary of State to promulgate legislative rules; permitting certain uses of moneys in Combined Voter Registration and Driver Licensing Fund; requiring balance in Fund in excess of $100,000 be transferred to General Revenue annually; prohibiting Division of Motor Vehicles from charging fees for issuance of identification card if applicant intends to use identification card as form of identification for voting; providing certain provisions for issuance of driver’s license or identification card to persons over the age of fifty years; and providing certain provisions for issuance of driver’s license or identification card to persons over the age of seventy years.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:


 That §3-1-34 and §3-1-41 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §3-1-51; that §3-2-11 and §3-2-12 of said code be amended and reenacted; and that §17B-2-1 of said code be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:


CHAPTER 3.  ELECTIONS.

ARTICLE 1.  GENERAL PROVISIONS AND DEFINITIONS.

§3-1-34. Voting procedures generally; identification; assistance to voters; voting records; penalties.


(a)  A person desiring to vote in an election shall, upon entering the election room, clearly state his or her name and residence to one of the poll clerks who shall thereupon announce the same in a clear and distinct tone of voice. For elections occurring on or after January 1, 2018, the person desiring to vote shall present to one of the poll clerks a valid identifying document meeting the requirements of subdivisions (1) or (2) of this subsection, and the poll clerk shall inspect and confirm that the name on the valid identifying document conforms to the name in the individual’s voter registration record and that, if the valid identifying document contains a photograph, the image displayed is truly an image of the person presenting the document.  If that person is found to be duly registered as a voter at that precinct, he or she shall sign his or her name in the designated location provided at the precinct. If that person is physically or otherwise unable to sign his or her name, his or her mark shall be affixed by one of the poll clerks in the presence of the other and the name of the poll clerk affixing the voter’s mark shall be indicated immediately under the affixation. No ballot may be given to the person until he or she signs his or her name on the designated location or his or her signature is affixed thereon.

(1) A document shall be deemed to be a valid identifying document if it:

(A) Has been issued either by the State of West Virginia, or one of its subsidiaries, or by the United States Government; and

(B) Contains the name of the person desiring to vote.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the following documents, if they contain the voter’s name, shall be considered valid identifying documents, and a person desiring to vote may produce any of the following:

(A) A valid West Virginia driver’s license or valid West Virginia identification card issued by the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles;

(B) A valid driver’s license issued by a state other than the State of West Virginia;

(C) A valid United States passport or passport card;

(D) A valid employee identification card with a photograph of the eligible voter issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the United States Government or of the State of West Virginia, or by any county, municipality, board, authority, or other political subdivision of West Virginia;

(E) A valid student identification card with a photograph of the eligible voter issued by an institution of higher education in West Virginia, or a valid high school identification card issued by a West Virginia high school;

(F) A valid military identification card issued by the United States with a photograph of the person desiring to vote;

(G) A valid concealed carry (pistol/revolver) permit issued by the sheriff of the county with a photograph of the person desiring to vote;

(H) A valid Medicare card or Social Security card;

(I) A valid birth certificate;

(J) A valid voter registration card issued by a county clerk in the State of West Virginia;

(K) A valid hunting or fishing license issued by the State of West Virginia;

(L) A valid identification card issued to the voter by the West Virginia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) program;

(M) A valid identification card issued to the voter by the West Virginia Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program; 

(N) A valid identification card issued to the voter by West Virginia Medicaid;

(O) A valid bank card or valid debit card;

(P) A valid utility bill issued within six months of the date of the election;

(Q) A valid bank statement issued within six months of the date of the election; or

(R) A valid health insurance card issued to the voter.

(3) In lieu of providing a valid identifying document, as required by this section, a registered voter may be accompanied at the polling place by an adult known to the registered voter for at least six months.  That adult may sign an affidavit on a form provided to clerks and poll workers by the Secretary of State, which states under oath or affirmation that the adult has known the registered voter for at least six months, and that in fact the registered voter is the same person who is present for the purpose of voting.  For the affidavit to be considered valid, the adult shall present a valid identifying document with his or her name, address, and photograph. 

(4) A poll worker may allow a voter, whom the poll worker has known for at least six months, to vote without presenting a valid identifying document.

(5) If the person desiring to vote is unable to furnish a valid identifying document, or if the poll clerk determines that the proof of identification presented by the voter does not qualify as a valid identifying document, the person desiring to vote shall be permitted to cast a provisional ballot after executing an affidavit affirming his or her identity pursuant to paragraph (B) of this subdivision.

(A) The provisional ballot is entitled to be counted once the election authority verifies the identity of the individual by comparing that individual’s signature to the current signature on file with the election authority and determines that the individual was otherwise eligible to cast a ballot at the polling place where the ballot was cast.

(B) The affidavit to be used for voting shall be substantially in the following form:

“State of West Virginia

County of.....................................

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that my name is .................................................; that I reside at.............................; and that I am the person listed in the precinct register under this name and at this address.

I understand that knowingly providing false information is a violation of law and subjects me to possible criminal prosecution.

.......................................................

Signature of voter

Subscribed and affirmed before me this........... day of ....................., 20....

................................

Name of Election Official

                                                                                    ................................

                                                                                    Signature of Election Official”.

            (6) A voter who votes in person at a precinct polling place that is located in a building which is part of a state licensed care facility where the voter is a resident is not required to provide proof of identification as a condition before voting in an election.

            (7) The person entering voter information into the centralized voter registration database shall cause the records to indicate when a voter has not presented a valid identifying document and has executed a voter identity affidavit.

            (8) If a voter participating in the Address Confidentiality Program established by section one hundred three, article twenty-eight-a, chapter forty-eight of this code, executes a voter identity affidavit, the program participant’s residential or mailing address is subject to the confidentiality provisions of section one hundred eight, article twenty-eight-a, chapter forty-eight of this code and shall be used only for those statutory and administrative purposes authorized by this section.

            (9) Prior to the primary and general elections to be held in calendar year 2018, the Secretary of State shall educate voters about the requirement to present a valid identifying document and develop a program to help ensure that all eligible voters are able to obtain a valid identifying document.

(b) The clerk of the county commission is authorized, upon verification that the precinct at which a handicapped person is registered to vote is not handicap accessible, to transfer that person’s registration to the nearest polling place in the county which is handicap accessible. A request by a handicapped person for a transfer of registration must be received by the county clerk no later than thirty days prior to the date of the election.  A handicapped person who has not made a request for a transfer of registration at least thirty days prior to the date of the election may vote a provisional ballot at a handicap accessible polling place in the county of his or her registration. If during the canvass the county commission determines that the person had been registered in a precinct that is not handicap accessible, the voted ballot, if otherwise valid, shall be counted. The handicapped person may vote in the precinct to which the registration was transferred only as long as the disability exists or the precinct from which the handicapped person was transferred remains inaccessible to the handicapped. To ensure confidentiality of the transferred ballot, the county clerk processing the ballot shall provide the voter with an unmarked envelope and an outer envelope designated “provisional ballot/handicapped voter”. After validation of the ballot at the canvass, the outer envelope shall be destroyed and the handicapped voter’s ballot shall be placed with other approved provisional ballots prior to removal of the ballot from the unmarked envelope.

(c) When the voter’s signature is properly marked and the voter has presented a valid identifying document, the two poll clerks shall sign their names in the places indicated on the back of the official ballot and deliver the ballot to the voter to be voted by him or her without leaving the election room. If he or she returns the ballot spoiled to the clerks, they shall immediately mark the ballot “spoiled” and it shall be preserved and placed in a spoiled ballot envelope together with other spoiled ballots to be delivered to the board of canvassers and deliver to the voter another official ballot, signed by the clerks on the reverse side. The voter shall thereupon retire alone to the booth or compartment prepared within the election room for voting purposes and there prepare his or her ballot. In voting for candidates in general and special elections, the voter shall comply with the rules and procedures prescribed in section five, article six of this chapter.

(d) It is the duty of a poll clerk, in the presence of the other poll clerk, to indicate by a check mark, or by other means, inserted in the appropriate place on the registration record of each voter the fact that the voter voted in the election. In primary elections the clerk shall also insert on the registration record of each voter a distinguishing initial or initials of the political party for whose candidates the voter voted. If a person is challenged at the polls, the challenge shall be indicated by the poll clerks on the registration record, together with the name of the challenger. The subsequent removal of the challenge shall be recorded on the registration record by the clerk of the county commission.

(e) (1) No voter may receive any assistance in voting unless, by reason of blindness, disability, advanced age or inability to read and write, that voter is unable to vote without assistance. Any voter so qualified to receive assistance in voting may:

(A) Declare his or her choice of candidates to an Election Commissioner of each political party who, in the presence of the voter and in the presence of each other, shall prepare the ballot for voting in the manner  provided in this section and, on request, shall read to the voter the names of the candidates selected on the ballot;

(B) Require the Election Commissioners to indicate to him or her the relative position of the names of the candidates on the ballot,  the voter shall then retire to one of the booths or compartments to prepare his or her ballot in the manner  provided in this section;

(C) Be assisted by any person of the voter’s choice, other than the voter’s present or former employer or agent of that employer, the officer or agent of a labor union of which the voter is a past or present member or a candidate on the ballot or an official write-in candidate; or

(D) If he or she is handicapped, vote from an automobile outside the polling place or precinct by the absentee balloting method provided in subsection (e), section five, article three of this chapter in the presence of an Election Commissioner of each political party if all of the following conditions are met:

(i) The polling place is not handicap accessible; and

(ii) No voters are voting or waiting to vote inside the polling place.

(2) The voted ballot shall then be returned to the precinct officials and secured in a sealed envelope to be returned to the clerk of the county commission with all other election materials. The ballot shall then be tabulated using the appropriate method provided in section eight of this chapter as it relates to the specific voting system in use.

(3)  A voter who requests assistance in voting but who is believed not to be qualified for assistance under the provisions of this section shall nevertheless be permitted to vote a provisional ballot with the assistance of any person herein authorized to render assistance.

(4)  One or more of the Election Commissioners or poll clerks in the precinct may challenge the ballot on the ground that the voter received assistance in voting it when in his, her or their opinion the person who received assistance in voting is not so illiterate, blind, disabled or of such advanced age as to have been unable to vote without assistance.  The Election Commissioner or poll clerk or commissioners or poll clerks making the challenge shall enter the challenge and the reason for such challenge on the form and in the manner prescribed or authorized by article three of this chapter.

(5) An Election Commissioner or other person who assists a voter in voting:

(A) May not in any manner request or seek to persuade or induce the voter to vote  a particular ticket or for  a particular candidate or for or against any public question and must not keep or make any memorandum or entry of anything occurring within the voting booth or compartment and must not, directly or indirectly, reveal to any person the name of  a candidate voted for by the voter,  which ticket he or she had voted or how he or she had voted on any public question or anything occurring within the voting booth,  compartment, or voting machine booth except when required  by law to give testimony as to the matter in a judicial proceeding; and

(B) Shall sign a written oath or affirmation before assisting the voter on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State stating that he or she will not override the actual preference of the voter being assisted, attempt to influence the voter’s choice or mislead the voter into voting for someone other than the candidate of voter’s choice. The person assisting the voter shall also swear or affirm that he or she believes that the voter is voting free of intimidation or manipulation.  No person providing assistance to a voter is required to sign an oath or affirmation where the reason for requesting assistance is the voter’s inability to vote without assistance because of blindness as defined in section three, article fifteen, chapter five of this code and the inability to vote without assistance because of blindness is certified in writing by a physician of the voter’s choice and is on file in the office of the clerk of the county commission.

(6) In accordance with instructions issued by the Secretary of State, the clerk of the county commission shall provide a form entitled “list of assisted voters”, on a form as prescribed by the Secretary of State.  The commissioners shall enter the name of each voter receiving assistance in voting the ballot, together with the poll slip number of that voter and the signature of the person or the commissioner from each party who assisted the voter.  If no voter has been assisted in voting, the commissioners shall make and subscribe to an oath of that fact on the list.

(f) After preparing the ballot, the voter shall fold the ballot so that the face is not exposed and the names of the poll clerks on it are seen.  The voter shall announce his or her name and present his or her ballot to one of the commissioners who shall hand the same to another commissioner, of a different political party, who shall deposit it in the ballot box if the ballot is the official one and properly signed.  The commissioner of election may inspect every ballot before it is deposited in the ballot box to ascertain whether it is single; but without unfolding or unrolling it so as to disclose its content.  When the voter has voted, he or she shall retire immediately from the election room and beyond the sixty-foot limit and not return except by permission of the commissioners.

(g) Following the election, the oaths or affirmations required by this section from those assisting voters, together with the “list of assisted voters”, shall be returned by the Election Commissioners to the clerk of the county commission along with the election supplies, records and returns.  The clerk of the county commission shall make the oaths, affirmations and list available for public inspection and  preserve them for a period of twenty-two months or until disposition is authorized or directed by the Secretary of State or court of record.   The clerk may use these records to update the voter registration records in accordance with subsection (d), section eighteen, article two of this chapter.

(h) Any person making an oath or affirmation required under the provisions of this section who knowingly swears falsely or any person who counsels, advises, aids or abets another in the commission of false swearing under this section, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or confined in jail for a period of not more than one year, or both fined and confined.

(i) Any Election Commissioner or poll clerk who authorizes or provides unchallenged assistance to a voter when the voter is known to the Election Commissioner or poll clerk not to require assistance in voting, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned in a state correctional facility for a period of not less than one year nor more than five years, or both fined and imprisoned.

§3-1-41. Challenged and provisional voter procedures; counting of provisional voters’ ballots; ballots of election officials.


            (a) It is the duty of the members of the receiving board, jointly or severally, to challenge the right of any person requesting a ballot to vote in any election:

            (1) If the person’s registration record is not available at the time of the election;

            (2) If the signature written by the person in the poll book does not correspond with the signature purported to be his or hers on the registration record;

            (3) If the registration record of the person indicates any other legal disqualification;

            (4) If the person fails to present a valid identifying document pursuant to section thirty-four of this article; or

            (5) If any other valid challenge exists against the voter pursuant to section ten, article three of this chapter.

            (b) Any person challenged shall nevertheless be permitted to vote in the election.  He or she shall be furnished an official ballot not endorsed by the poll clerks.  In lieu of the endorsements, the poll clerks shall complete and sign an appropriate form indicating the challenge, the reason thereof and the name or names of the challengers.  The form shall be securely attached to the voter’s ballot and deposited together with the ballot in a separate box or envelope marked “provisional ballots”.

            (c) At the time that an individual casts a provisional ballot, the poll clerk shall give the individual written information stating that an individual who casts a provisional ballot will be able to ascertain under the free access system established in this section whether the vote was counted and, if the vote was not counted, the reason that the vote was not counted.

            (d) Before an individual casts a provisional ballot, the poll clerk shall provide the individual written instructions, supplied by the board of ballot commissioners, stating that if the voter is casting a ballot in the incorrect precinct, the ballot cast may not be counted for that election:  Provided, That if the voter is found to be in the incorrect precinct, then the poll worker shall attempt to ascertain the appropriate precinct for the voter to cast a ballot and immediately give the voter the information if ascertainable.

            (e) Provisional ballots may not be counted by the election officials.  The county commission shall, on its own motion, at the time of canvassing of the election returns, sit in session to determine the validity of any challenges according to the provisions of this chapter.  If the county commission determines that the challenges are unfounded, each provisional ballot of each challenged voter, if otherwise valid, shall be counted and tallied together with the regular ballots cast in the election.  The county commission, as the board of canvassers, shall protect the privacy of each provisional ballot cast.  The county commission shall disregard technical errors, omissions or oversights if it can reasonably be ascertained that the challenged voter was entitled to vote.

            (f) Any person duly appointed as an Election Commissioner or clerk under the provisions of section twenty-eight of this article who serves in that capacity in a precinct other than the precinct in which the person is legally entitled to vote may cast a provisional ballot in the precinct in which the person is serving as a commissioner or clerk.  The ballot is not invalid for the sole reason of having been cast in a precinct other than the precinct in which the person is legally entitled to vote.  The county commission shall record the provisional ballot on the voter’s permanent registration record:  Provided, That the county commission may count only the votes for the offices that the voter was legally authorized to vote for in his or her own precinct.

            (g) The Secretary of State shall establish a free access system, which may include a toll-free telephone number or an Internet website, that may be accessed by any individual who casts a provisional ballot to discover whether his or her vote was counted and, if not, the reason that the vote was not counted.

§3-1-51. Identity verification of voters executing voter identity affidavit.


(a) The clerk of the county commission shall cause a letter to be mailed by first class mail to each voter who executed a voter identity affidavit pursuant to section thirty-four of this article.  The letter shall be mailed within sixty days after the election.  The clerk shall mark the envelope with instructions to the United States Post Office not to forward the letter and to provide address correction information.  The letter shall notify the addressee that a person who did not present a valid identifying document voted using his or her name and address and instruct the addressee to contact the clerk immediately if he or she did not vote.  The letter shall also inform the addressee of the procedure for obtaining an identification card from the Division of Motor Vehicles for voting purposes.

            (b) The clerk of the county commission shall cause letters mailed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section that are returned as undeliverable by the United States Post Office to be referred to the Secretary of State.  The clerk shall also prepare and forward to the Secretary of State a list of all persons who were mailed letters under subsection (a) of this section and who notified the clerk that they did not vote.  Upon receipt of notice from a person who receives a letter mailed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section that the person did not vote, or upon receipt of a referral from the clerk, the Secretary of State shall cause an investigation to be made to determine whether fraudulent voting occurred. Beginning July 1, 2019 and each year thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary and the Joint Committee on Government and Finance detailing the results of all investigations of voter identity affidavits, including, but not limited to, the number of investigations, the number of ballots cast, and the number and results of any determinations made regarding fraudulent voting.

ARTICLE 2.  REGISTRATION OF VOTERS.


§3‑2‑11. Registration in conjunction with driver licensing.

(a) The Division of Motor Vehicles or other division or department that may be established by law to perform motor vehicle driver licensing services shall obtain,  as an integral and simultaneous part of every process of application for the issuance, renewal or change of address of a motor vehicle driver’s license or official identification card pursuant to the provisions of article two, chapter seventeen‑b of this code,  when the division=s regional offices are open for regular business,  the following information from each qualified registrant:

(1) Full name, including first, middle, last and any premarital names;

(2) Date of birth;

(3) Residence address and mailing address, if different;

(4) The applicant’s electronic signature;

(5) Telephone number, if available;

(6) Email address, if available;

(7) Political party membership, if any;

(8) Driver’s license number and last four digits of social security number;

(9) A notation that the applicant has attested that he or she meets all voter eligibility requirements, including United States citizenship;

(10) Whether the applicant affirmatively declined to become registered to vote during the transaction with the Division of Motor Vehicles;

(11) Date of application; and

(12) Any other information specified in rules adopted to implement this section.

(b) Unless the applicant affirmatively declines to become registered to vote or update their voter registration during the transaction with the Division of Motor Vehicles, the Division of Motor Vehicles shall release all of the information obtained pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to the Secretary of State, who shall forward the information to the county clerk for the relevant county to process the newly registered voter or updated information for the already-registered voter pursuant to law.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, if the applicant affirmatively declines to become registered to vote, the Division of Motor Vehicles is required to release the first name, middle name, last name, premarital name, if applicable, complete residence address, complete date of birth of an applicant and the applicant=s electronic signature, entered in the division=s records for driver license or nonoperator identification purposes to the Secretary of State in order to facilitate any future attempt of the applicant to register to vote online, along with the notation that the applicant affirmatively declined to become registered at that time.  The Division of Motor Vehicles shall notify that applicant that by submitting his or her signature, the applicant grants written consent for the submission of the information obtained and required to be submitted to the Secretary of State pursuant to this section. 

(c)  Information regarding a person’s failure to sign the voter registration application is confidential and may not be used for any purpose other than to determine voter registration.

(d) A qualified voter who submits the required information or update to his or her voter registration, pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, in person at a driver licensing facility at the time of applying for, obtaining, renewing or transferring his or her driver’s license or official identification card and who presents identification and proof of age at that time is not required to make his or her first vote in person or to again present identification in order to make that registration valid.

(e) A qualified voter who submits by mail or by delivery by a third party an application for registration on the form used in conjunction with driver licensing is required to make his or her first vote in person and present identification as required for other mail registration in accordance with the provisions of subsection (g), section ten of this article. If the applicant has been previously registered in the jurisdiction and the application is for a change of address, change of name, change of political party affiliation or other correction, the presentation of identification and first vote in person is not required.

(f) An application for voter registration submitted pursuant to the provisions of this section updates a previous voter registration by the applicant and authorizes the cancellation of registration in any other county or state in which the applicant was previously registered.

(g) A change of address from one residence to another within the same county which is submitted for driver licensing or nonoperator=s identification purposes in accordance with applicable law serves as a notice of change of address for voter registration purposes if requested by the applicant after notice and written consent of the applicant.

(h) Completed applications for voter registration or change of address for voting purposes received by an office providing driver licensing services shall be forwarded to the Secretary of State within five days of receipt unless other means are available for a more expedited transmission. The Secretary of State shall remove and file any forms which have not been signed by the applicant and shall forward completed, signed applications to the clerk of the appropriate county commission within five days of receipt.

(i) Voter registration application forms containing voter information which are returned to a driver licensing office unsigned shall be collected by the Division of Motor Vehicles, submitted to the Secretary of State and maintained by the Secretary of State=s office according to the retention policy adopted by the Secretary of State.

(j) The Secretary of State shall establish procedures to protect the confidentiality of the information obtained from the Division of Motor Vehicles, including any information otherwise required to be confidential by other provisions of this code.

(k) A person registered to vote pursuant to this section may cancel his or her voter registration at any time by any method available to any other registered voter.

(l) This section shall not be construed as requiring the Division of Motor Vehicles to determine eligibility for voter registration and voting.

(m) The changes made to this section during the 2016 Regular Legislative Session shall become effective on July 1, 2017, and any costs associated therewith shall be paid by the Division of Motor Vehicles.  If the Division of Motor Vehicles is unable to meet the requirements of this section by February 1, 2017, it shall make a presentation to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance explaining any resources necessary to meet the requirements or any changes to the code that it recommends immediately prior to the 2017 Regular Legislative Session.

(n) The Secretary of State shall propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code in order to implement the requirements of this section.


§3-2-12. Combined voter registration and driver licensing fund; transfer of funds.

(a) Fifty cents of each license fee collected pursuant to the provisions of section one, article three, chapter seventeen of this code shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit of a special revenue fund to be known as the “Combined Voter Registration and Driver Licensing Fund.” The moneys so credited to such fund may be used by the Secretary of State for the following purposes:

(1) Printing and distribution of combined driver licensing or other agency applications and voter registration forms, or for the printing of voter registration forms to be used in conjunction with driver licensing or other agency applications, or for implementing the automatic voter registration program authorized in section eleven of this article;

(2) Printing and distribution of mail voter registration forms for purposes of this article;

(3) Supplies, postage and mailing costs for correspondence relating to voter registration for agency registration sites and for the return of completed voter registration forms to the appropriate state or county election official;

(4) Reimbursement of postage and mailing costs incurred by clerks of the county commissions for sending a verification mailing, confirmation of registration or other mailings directly resulting from an application to register, change or update a voter’s registration through a driver licensing or other agency;

(5) Reimbursement to state funded agencies, with the exception of the Division of Motor Vehicles, designated to provide voter registration services under this chapter for personnel costs associated with the time apportioned to voter registration services and assistance;

(6) The purchase, printing and distribution of public information and other necessary materials or equipment to be used in conjunction with voter registration services provided by state funded agencies designated pursuant to the provisions of this article;

(7) The development and continued maintenance of a statewide program of uniform voter registration computerization for use by each county registration office and the Secretary of State, purchase of uniform voter registration software, payment of software installation costs and reimbursement to the county commissions of not more than fifty percent of the cost per voter for data entry or data conversion from a previous voter registration software program;

(8) Efforts to maintain correct voter information and conduct general list maintenance to remove ineligible voters and ensure new residents receive voter registration information, including collaborating with other states and non-profit corporations dedicated to improving the election system;

(9) Payment of any dues or fees associated with a program to match and transfer data to and from other states;

(10) Resources related to voter registration and list maintenance; and

(11) Payment or reimbursement of other costs associated with implementation of the requirements of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U. S. C. 1973gg): Provided, That revenue received by the fund in any fiscal year shall first be allocated to the purposes set forth in subdivisions (1) through (10), inclusive, of this subsection.

(b) The Secretary of State shall promulgate rules pursuant to the provisions of chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to provide for the administration of the fund established in subsection (a) of this section.

(c) Any balance in the fund created by subsection (a) of this section which exceeds $100,000 as of June 30, 2017, and on June 30 of each year thereafter, shall be transferred to the General Revenue Fund.           

CHAPTER 17B.  MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVER’S LICENSES.

ARTICLE 2.  ISSUANCE OF LICENSE, EXPIRATION AND RENEWAL.

§17B-2-1. Drivers must be licensed; types of licenses; licensees need not obtain local government license; motorcycle driver license; identification cards.


(a) (1) No person, except those hereinafter expressly exempted, may drive a motor vehicle upon a street or highway in this state or upon a subdivision street used by the public generally unless the person has a valid driver’s license issued pursuant to this code for the type or class of vehicle being driven.

            (2) Any person licensed to operate a motor vehicle pursuant to this code may exercise the privilege thereby granted in the manner provided in this code and, except as otherwise provided by law, is not required to obtain any other license to exercise the privilege by a county, municipality or local board or body having authority to adopt local police regulations.

            (b) The division, upon issuing a driver’s license, shall indicate on the license the type or general class or classes of vehicles the licensee may operate in accordance with this code, federal law or rule.  Licenses shall be issued in different colors for those drivers under age eighteen, those drivers age eighteen to twenty-one and adult drivers.  The commissioner is authorized to select and assign colors to the licenses of the various age groups.    

            (c) The following drivers licenses classifications are hereby established:

            (1) A Class A, B or C license shall be issued to those persons eighteen years of age or older with two years of driving experience who have qualified for the commercial driver’s license established by chapter seventeen-e of this code and the federal Motor Carrier Safety and Improvement Act of 1999 and subsequent rules and have paid the required fee.

            (2) A Class D license shall be issued to those persons eighteen years and older with one year of driving experience who operate motor vehicles other than those types of vehicles which require the operator to be licensed under the provisions of chapter seventeen-e of this code and federal law and rule and whose primary function or employment is the transportation of persons or property for compensation or wages and have paid the required fee.  For the purpose of regulating the operation of motor vehicles, wherever the term “chauffeur’s license” is used in this code, it means the Class A, B, C or D license described in this section or chapter seventeen-e of this code or federal law or rule: Provided, That anyone not required to be licensed under the provisions of chapter seventeen-e of this code and federal law or rule and who operates a motor vehicle registered or required to be registered as a Class A motor vehicle, as that term is defined in section one, article ten, chapter seventeen-a of this code, with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than eight thousand one pounds, is not required to obtain a Class D license.

            (3) A Class E license shall be issued to  persons who have qualified for a driver’s license under the provisions of this chapter and who are not required to obtain a Class A, B, C or D license and who have paid the required fee.  The Class E license may be endorsed under the provisions of section seven-b of this article for motorcycle operation.  The Class E or  G license for  a person under the age of eighteen may also be endorsed with the appropriate graduated driver license level in accordance with the provisions of section three-a of this article.

            (4) A Class F license shall be issued to those persons who successfully complete the motorcycle examination procedure provided by this chapter and have paid the required fee but who do not possess a Class A, B, C, D or E driver’s license.

            (5) A Class G driver’s license or instruction permit shall be issued to a person using bioptic telescopic lenses who has successfully completed an approved driver training program and complied with all other requirements of article two-b of this chapter.

            (d) All licenses issued under this section may contain information designating the licensee as a diabetic, organ donor, as deaf or hard-of-hearing, as having any other handicap or disability or that the licensee is an honorably discharged veteran of any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, according to criteria established by the division, if the licensee requests this information on the license. An honorably discharged veteran may be issued a replacement license without charge if the request is made before the expiration date of the current license and the only purpose for receiving the replacement license is to get the veterans designation placed on the license.

            (e) No person, except those hereinafter expressly exempted, may drive  a motorcycle  on a street or highway in this state or  on a subdivision street used by the public generally unless the person has a valid motorcycle license, a valid license which has been endorsed under section seven-b of this article for motorcycle operation or a valid motorcycle instruction permit.

            (f) (1) An identification card may be issued to a person who:

            (A) Is a resident of this state in accordance with the provisions of section one-a, article three, chapter seventeen-a of this code;

            (B) Has reached the age of two years or, for good cause shown, under the age of two.

            (C) Has paid the required fee of $2.50 per year: Provided, That no fees or charges, including renewal fees, are required if the applicant:

            (i) Is sixty-five years or older;

            (ii) Is legally blind; or

            (iii) Will be at least eighteen years of age at the next general, municipal or special election and intends to use this identification card as a form of identification for voting; and

            (D) Presents a birth certificate or other proof of age and identity acceptable to the division with a completed application on a form furnished by the division.

            (2) The identification card shall contain the same information as a driver’s license except that the identification card shall be clearly marked as an identification card.  The division may issue an identification card with less information to persons under the age of sixteen.  An identification card may be renewed annually on application and payment of the fee required by this section.

            (A) Every identification card issued to a person who has attained his or her twenty-first birthday expires on the licensee’s birthday in those years in which the licensee’s age is evenly divisible by five.  Except as provided in paragraph (B) of this subdivision, no identification card may be issued for less than three years or for more than seven years and expires on the licensee’s birthday in those years in which the licensee’s age is evenly divisible by five.

            (B) Every identification card issued to a person who has not attained his or her twenty-first birthday expires thirty days after the licensee’s twenty-first birthday.

            (C) Every identification card issued to persons under the age of sixteen shall be issued for a period of two years and expire on the last day of the month in which the applicant’s birthday occurs.

            (3) The division may issue an identification card to an applicant whose privilege to operate a motor vehicle has been refused, canceled, suspended or revoked under the provisions of this code.

            (g) For any person over the age of fifty years who wishes to obtain a driver’s license or identification card under the provisions of this section:

(1) A raised seal or stamp on the birth certificate or certified copy of the birth certificate is not required if the issuing jurisdiction does not require one; and

(2) If documents are lacking to prove all changes of name in the history of any such applicant, applicants renewing a driver’s license or identification card under the provisions of this section may complete a Name Variance Approval Document as instituted by the division, so long as they can provide:

(A) Proof of identity;

(B) Proof of residency; and

(C) A valid Social Security number.

(3) The division may waive any documents necessary to prove a match between names, so long as the division determines the person is not attempting to:

(A) Change his or her identity;

(B) Assume another person’s identity; or

(C) Commit a fraud.

(h) A person over the age of seventy years, or who is on Social Security disability, who wishes to obtain or renew a driver’s license or identification card under the provisions of this section, may not be required to furnish a copy of a birth certificate if they can provide:

(1) Proof of identity;

(2) Proof of residency;

(3) A valid Social Security number; and

(4) One of the following identifying items:

(A) A form of military identification, including a DD214 or equivalent;

(B) A U.S. passport, whether valid or expired;

(C) School records, including a yearbook;

(D) A religious document, that in the judgment of the Division is sufficient and authentic to reflect that the person was born in the United States; or

(E) An expired driver’s license, employment identification card, or other reliable identification card with a recognizable photograph of the person.

 (i) Any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than $500 and, upon a second or subsequent conviction, shall be fined not more than $500 or confined in jail not more than six months, or both fined and confined.


The Joint Committee on Enrolled Bills hereby certifies that the foregoing bill is correctly enrolled.

 

 

...............................................................

        Chairman, House Committee

                               

 

                     ...............................................................

                             Chairman, Senate Committee

                                                   

 

Originating in the House.

 

In effect ninety days from passage.

 

 

...............................................................

                  Clerk of the House of Delegates

 

 

                     ...............................................................

                                                   Clerk of the Senate

 

 

                                    ...............................................................

                                                   Speaker of the House of Delegates

 

 

                                                            ...............................................................

                                                                                     President of the Senate

 

 

__________

 

 

 

      The within ................................................... this the...........................................

 

day of ..........................................................................................................., 2016.

 

 

                                                .............................................................

                                                                                       Governor

 

 

 

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