MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1997 Regular Session

To: Elections

By: Senator(s) Harden

Senate Bill 2312

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO MAINTAIN A STATEWIDE VOTER REGISTRATION RECORD FROM AND AFTER JULY 1, 1998; TO REQUIRE THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO COMPILE THE RECORD FROM INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY EACH CIRCUIT CLERK; TO ALLOW THE STATEWIDE VOTER REGISTRATION RECORD TO CONSIST OF COMPUTERIZED RECORDS; TO REQUIRE THE RECORD TO BE OPEN TO PUBLIC REVIEW; TO PROVIDE THAT VOTER REGISTRATION DATA SHALL BE TRANSMITTED ELECTRONICALLY ON A PERIODIC BASIS TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE; TO REQUIRE A REGISTRAR TO REMOVE A VOTER'S NAME FROM THE REGISTRATION RECORD IF THE VOTER MOVES HIS OR HER RESIDENCE AND REGISTERS IN A DIFFERENT COUNTY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.  

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. From and after July 1, 1998, the Office of the Secretary of State shall maintain a statewide voter registration record listing all qualified and registered electors in the State of Mississippi. The statewide voter registration record shall be compiled by the Secretary of State from the records of voter registration submitted by each county registrar of this state and may consist of a copy of the computer record maintained by each registrar pursuant to Section 23-15-114. The statewide voter registration record shall be open to public review at all times during the regular business hours of the Office of the Secretary of State.

SECTION 2. (1) The Secretary of State shall prescribe a generally accepted industry standard file format for the submission of county voter registration data to the Secretary of State. The data shall include, but not be limited to, all additions, deletions and revisions to voter registration rolls. Voter registration data shall be transmitted electronically on a periodic basis by county voter registrars in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Secretary of State.

(2) When a registered voter moves from one county to another within the state and registers in the county of his or her new residence, the registrar of the county of the voter's former residence shall remove the voter's name from the registration records of the county of the voter's former residence.

SECTION 3. The Attorney General of the State of Mississippi shall submit this act, immediately upon approval by the Governor, or upon approval by the Legislature subsequent to a veto, to the Attorney General of the United States or to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in accordance with the provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the date it is effectuated under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended.