HB 937

ACTS PURGING VOTER REGISTRATION Present law provides that voting registration of a person must be purged if certain criteria is met, including u pon receiving information that a person has been convicted of an infamous crime from the state coordinator of elections, the district attorney general, United States attorney, clerk of the court that entered the conviction, or other source upon verificati on by the clerk of the convicting court . This bill removes that specific criterion upon which voting registration of a person must be automatically purged. Instead, this bill provides that upon receipt of such information such persons or entities , the administrator of elections must place the registration in suspended status. This bill provides that v oter registrations that are so suspended are not included in a county's total of registered voters. The administrator of elections must report suspended voter registrations to the state coordinator of elections , who must maintain a list of suspended voter registrations and a list of restored voter registrations. VOTER REGISTRATION OF PERSONS CONVICTED OF INFAMOUS CRIMES This bill removes the current process for voter registration of persons convicted of infamous crimes and, instead, provides the following:  A person who has temporarily forfeited the right to vote because of a conviction of an infamous crime is eligible to vote automatically upon confirmation that (i) t he person has completed the sentence imposed upon conviction for an infamous crime, including any parole or probationary period; or (ii) a n appellate court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final judgment reversing the person's conviction of all infamous crimes.  A certificate of final discharge from supervision or a certified copy of a judgment of an appellate court of competent jurisdiction is sufficient proof to the administrator that the person fulfills the above requirements as to the offense specified on the certificate of final discharge or judgment.  The state coordinator of elections must formulate a uniform procedure for automatically verifying the registration eligibility of any person convicted of an infamous crime and updating the appropriate administrator of elections of any changes to the suspended voter registration list described above . Upon receiving sufficient verification of the person's eligibility to register, the administrator must allow the person to become a registered voter or reactivate the person's voter registration in the same manner and in accordance with the same laws or rules as any other citizen of this state. DUTIES OF THE COORDINATOR OF ELECTIONS This bill requires the coordinator of elections to d evise and furnish to the clerks of the circuit and criminal courts a form to be used for notifying county election commissions of the fact that a registered voter has been convicted of an infamous crime and therefore has a suspended voter registration. The coordinator of election must also d evise and furnish to the department of correction a form to be used to notify the county election commissions of the fact that a suspended voter's sentence has been c ompleted and the voter is eligible for automatic restoration of the voter's right to vote. This bill requires the coordinator of elections to instruct the administrators in each county to (i) s uspend the registration of any person who is registered to vote in the administrator's county when notified that the person has been convicted of an infamous crime; and (ii) r estore to the voting rolls any person whose registration has been suspended in the administrator's county when notified that the person has completed the sentence or received a copy of the final judgment reversing the person's convict ion of all infamous crimes . This bill requires the coordinator of elections to (i) m aintain a list of individuals whose right to vote has been suspended for conviction of an infamous crime; ( ii ) m aintain a list of individuals whose right to vote has been restored; and ( iii ) d evelop and implement a program to educate attorneys, judges, election officials, appropriate staff under the department of correction, and members of the public. RIGHT TO VOTE FOR PERSONS CONVICTED OF INFAMOUS CRIMES This bill removes the current provisions governing the exercise of the right to vote for those persons convicted of an infamous crime and, instead, provides the following:  A person who has been convicted of an infamous crime is not permitted to register to vote or vote at any election until the person has completed the sentence, including any parole or probationary period, or an appellate court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final judgment reversing the person's conviction of all infamous crimes.  A person who has been convicted in another state of a crime or offense which would constitute an infamous crime under the laws of this state, regardless of the sentence imposed, must not register to vote or vote at any election in this state until the person has completed the sentence, including any parole or probationary period or an appellate court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final judgment reversing the person's conviction of all infamous crimes. JUDGMENT OF INFAMY Present law provides that, upon conviction for any felony, it is the judgment of the court that the defendant be infamous and be immediately disqualified from exercising the right to vote . This bill revises this provision to, instead, provide that a criminal offense designated as a felony at the time of conviction is an infamous crime, and a person so convicted is immediately suspended from exercising the right to vote. NOTICE GIVEN AT TIME OF INMATE'S RELEASE This bill requires the department of correction to provide an inmate upon the inmate's release with (i) a certificate of final discharge , ( ii ) w ritten information on how to register to vote; ( iii ) t he amount of restitution to the victim of the offense owed by the inmate; ( iv ) t he amount of court costs owed by the inmate; and ( v ) t he amount of child support owed by the inmate. The department must also provide a copy of such documentation to the state coordinator of elections , who must update the appropriate administrator of elections. NOTICE TO THOSE WITH EXISTING FELONIES On or before January 1, 2026, this bill requires the coordinator of elections to send a certified letter and a voter registration application to the last known address of each person who had a felony conviction after January 14, 1973, but prior to May 18, 1981, informing the person that the person is eligible to vote, never lost the r ight to vote in this state, and does not need to have the person's rights restored.