Section 115.158

Title IX SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS

Chapter 115

Effective - 28 Aug 2003   

  115.158.  Missouri voter registration system authorized, functions — system maintenance performed — security measures implemented — verification of information — use of system for election results — information not to be used for commercial purposes, penalty — advisory committee established, duties — rulemaking authority. — 1.  The secretary of state shall implement a centralized, interactive computerized statewide voter registration list.  This computerized list shall be known as the "Missouri Voter Registration System".  The system shall be implemented by January 1, 2004, unless a waiver is obtained pursuant to the Help America Vote Act of 2002.  If a waiver is obtained, the system shall be implemented by January 1, 2006.  The system shall be maintained and administered by the secretary of state and contain the name and registration information of every legally registered voter in Missouri.  In addition, the system shall:

  (1)  Assign a unique identifier to each legally registered voter in Missouri;

  (2)  Serve as the single system for storing and managing the official list of registered voters throughout Missouri;

  (3)  Be coordinated with other agency databases in Missouri;

  (4)  Allow any election official in Missouri, including local election authorities, immediate electronic access to the information contained in the system;

  (5)  Allow all voter registration information obtained by any local election official in Missouri to be electronically entered into the system on an expedited basis at the time the information is provided to the local official.  The secretary of state, as the chief state election official, shall provide such support as may be required so that local election officials are able to enter the registration information; and

  (6)  Serve as the official voter registration list for the conduct of all elections in Missouri.

  2.  The secretary of state and local election authorities shall perform system maintenance on a regular basis, which shall include:

  (1)  Removing names in accordance with the provisions and procedures of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and coordinating system maintenance activities with state agency records on death and felony status;

  (2)  Requiring the name of each registered voter to appear in the system;

  (3)  Removing only voters who are not registered or who are not eligible to vote; and

  (4)  Eliminating duplicate names from the system.

  3.  The secretary of state shall provide adequate technological security measures to prevent the unauthorized access to the system established pursuant to this section.

  4.  The secretary of state shall develop procedures to ensure that voter registration records within the system are accurate and updated regularly.  At a minimum, the procedures shall include:

  (1)  A system of file maintenance that makes a reasonable effort to remove registrants who are ineligible to vote.  Consistent with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, registrants who have not responded to a notice and who have not voted in two consecutive general elections for federal office shall be removed from the official list of eligible voters, except that no registrant may be removed solely by reason of a failure to vote; and

  (2)  Safeguards to ensure that eligible voters are not removed in error.

  5.  Voter registration information shall be verified in accordance with the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

  (1)  Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, an application for voter registration may not be accepted or processed unless the application includes:

  (a)  In the case of an applicant who has been issued a current and valid driver's license, the applicant's driver's license number; or

  (b)  In the case of any other applicant, other than an applicant to whom subdivision (2) applies, the last four digits of the applicant's Social Security number.

  (2)  If an applicant for voter registration has not been issued a current and valid driver's license or a Social Security number, the applicant shall be assigned a number which will serve to identify the applicant for voter registration purposes.  The number assigned under this subdivision shall be used as the unique identifying number within the system.

  (3)  The secretary of state and the director of the department of revenue shall enter into an agreement to match information in the database of the voter registration system with information in the database of the motor vehicle system to enable the secretary to verify the accuracy of information provided on applications for voter registration.

  (4)  The director of the department of revenue shall enter into an agreement with the commissioner of Social Security and comply with the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

  6.  In addition to using the system for voter registration, the election authorities and secretary of state may use the system for the collection and dissemination of election results and other pertinent information.  Any information contained in any state or local voter registration system, limited to the master voter registration list or any other list generated from the information, subject to chapter 610, shall not be used for commercial purposes; provided, however, that the information may be used for elections, for candidates, or for ballot measures, furnished at a reasonable fee.  Violation of this section shall be a class B misdemeanor.  For purposes of this section, "commercial purposes" means the use of a public record for the purpose of sale or resale or for the purpose of producing a document containing all or part of the copy, printout, or photograph for sale or the obtaining of names and addresses from public records for the purpose of solicitation or the sale of names and addresses to another for the purpose of solicitation or for any purpose in which the purchaser can reasonably anticipate the receipt of monetary gain from the direct or indirect use of the public record.

  7.  The secretary of state shall establish an advisory committee to assist in the establishment and maintenance of the Missouri voter registration system.

  8.  The secretary of state may promulgate rules to execute this section. No rule or portion of a rule promulgated pursuant to the authority of this section shall become effective unless it has been promulgated pursuant to chapter 536.

  9.  Election authorities and any agency required under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to accept voter registration applications shall forward registration and other data in a manner prescribed by the secretary of state to assist with administering and maintaining the Missouri voter registration system in accordance with the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

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(L. 1994 S.B. 635, A.L. 1996 H.B. 1557 & 1489, A.L. 1999 H.B. 676, A.L. 2003 H.B. 511)