Voter Eligibility Verification Pilot Program

Voter Eligibility Verification Pilot Program

98-273 GOV
March 20, 1998
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Voter Eligibility Verification Pilot Program
Kevin Coleman
Analyst in American National Government
Government Division
H.R. 3485, the Campaign Reform and Election Integrity Act of 1998, was
introduced in the House on March 18, 1998; it was amended and reported by the House
Oversight Committee the same day. Title V of the legislation establishes a pilot program
to allow election officials to verify the citizenship of voter registration applicants, amends
the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 by adding a citizenship question to the
national voter registration form, and establishes procedures for maintaining voter
registration lists.
Voter Eligibility Verification Pilot Program
This legislation proposes a program for insuring that those who participate in the
electoral process are qualified to vote by virtue of citizenship. The Attorney General and
the Commissioner of Social Security are responsible for developing a pilot program to
allow election officials to verify the citizenship of voter registration applicants using the
last four digits of an applicant’s social security number. Title V would require the
following:
! The information may be used only for verifying a person’s eligibility to vote. The
legislation explicitly prohibits using the citizen verification process for any other
purpose.
! In instances where citizenship cannot be confirmed, the election official is required
to notify the voter registration applicant in writing so that erroneous information
may be corrected.
! The program is to be voluntary and nondiscriminatory. At a minimum, the pilot
program must be instituted in California, New York, Texas, Florida, and Illinois.
! The program is to expire on September 30, 2001. The Attorney General and
Commissioner of Social Security will report to the Committee on the Judiciary and
the Committee on Ways and Means on the program, including an assessment of the
program’s safeguards against discriminatory practices, the extent of fraudulent
attesting to citizenship, the reliability of Social Security records for determining
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citizenship, and the program’s suitability for implementation nationally, including
a cost estimate.
Other Measures to Protect Election Integrity
The bill amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 by requiring a change
to the mail voter registration form developed under the act. The legislation proposes
adding two boxes to the mail voter registration form on which an applicant must indicate
whether or not he or she is a citizen.
The legislation establishes a procedure for election officials to verify the address of
registered voters who have not voted in two consecutive general elections, by sending a
notice to the voter. Election officials may place a voter on an inactive list if the voter does
not notify the official of intent to remain eligible.