Chapter 555 Oregon Laws 2007

 

AN ACT

 

HB 2910

 

Relating to elections; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 247.015 and 247.017.

 

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:

 

          SECTION 1. Section 2 of this 2007 Act is added to and made a part of ORS chapter 247.

 

          SECTION 2. (1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, an otherwise qualified person who is at least 17 years of age may register to vote.

          (2) A person who registers to vote under subsection (1) of this section may not vote in an election until the person attains the age of 18 years.

 

          SECTION 3. ORS 247.015 is amended to read:

          247.015. (1) A qualified person absent from the state may register by mailing to the county clerk for the county in which the person resides a completed registration card or a signed statement containing the information required on a registration card.

          [(2) An otherwise qualified person who will attain the age of 18 years on or before the date of the election may register after the 60th day before the election.]

          [(3)] (2) On written request from a qualified person who by physical incapacity cannot register in the office of the county clerk, the county clerk of the county in which the person resides shall send the person a registration card or register the person at the person’s residence.

          [(4)] (3) An otherwise qualified person who will become a United States citizen after the 21st calendar day immediately preceding an election may register before the 20th day before the election. The county clerk of the county in which the person resides shall cancel the person’s registration before the election unless the person appears before the county clerk and provides evidence of citizenship.

 

          SECTION 4. ORS 247.017 is amended to read:

          247.017. (1) The Department of Transportation shall make a voter registration card [shall be] available to any person at any office of the department [of Transportation] where licenses or renewal applications are distributed or received.

          (2) When a person who is at least [18] 17 years of age applies for issuance or renewal of an Oregon driver license, as defined in ORS 801.245, or issuance of a state identification card under ORS 807.400 or submits a change of address application form at a department office where driver license issuance or renewal applications, state identification card applications or change of address applications are distributed or received, department personnel shall inform the person [shall be informed] that the person may register to vote at the department office. Department personnel shall ask the applicant [shall be asked] whether the applicant is registered to vote at the applicant’s current address and if not, whether the applicant would like to register to vote at the department office.

          (3) Each office shall deliver in a timely manner the completed voter registration cards to the county clerk or elections officer of the county in which the office is located. The county clerk or elections officer of the county where the office is located shall forward the registration card to the county clerk or elections officer of the county in which the applicant resides. The county clerk or elections officer may reject any registration card in accordance with ORS 247.174. The Secretary of State shall determine by rule the time and manner the completed registration cards are to be delivered to the appropriate county clerk or elections officer.

          (4) The department shall develop a driver license issuance or renewal and voter registration application procedure and a state identification card issuance and voter registration application procedure and a change of address and voter registration application procedure that allows an applicant for a license, renewal, state identification card or change of address to register to vote by providing the information required by ORS 247.171 and the information required for the issuance or renewal of a license or for issuance of a state identification card. The Secretary of State shall approve the voter registration portion of each application procedure and change of address procedure.

          (5) The voter registration portion of an application described in subsection (4) of this section shall comply with provisions of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-31).

          (6) The Secretary of State shall adopt rules establishing procedures for meeting the requirements of subsection (3) of this section.

          (7) Information relating to the failure of an applicant under this section to sign the voter registration portion of an application for issuance or renewal of a driver license, issuance of a state identification card or for a change of address [shall] may not be used for other than voter registration purposes.

 

Approved by the Governor June 22, 2007

 

Filed in the office of Secretary of State June 27, 2007

 

Effective date January 1, 2008

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