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52 U.S.C. § 20503 — National procedures for voter registration for elections for Federal office
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) In general** Except as provided in subsection (b), notwithstanding any other Federal or State law, in addition to any other method of voter registration provided for under State law, each State shall establish procedures to register to vote in elections for Federal office—
(1) by application made simultaneously with an application for a motor vehicle driver’s license pursuant to [section 20504 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title52-section20504&num=0&edition=prelim);
(2) by mail application pursuant to [section 20505 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title52-section20505&num=0&edition=prelim); and
(3) by application in person—
(A) at the appropriate registration site designated with respect to the residence of the applicant in accordance with State law; and
(B) at a Federal, State, or nongovernmental office designated under [section 20506 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title52-section20506&num=0&edition=prelim).
**(b) Nonapplicability to certain States** This chapter does not apply to a State described in either or both of the following paragraphs:
(1) A State in which, under law that is in effect continuously on and after August 1, 1994, there is no voter registration requirement for any voter in the State with respect to an election for Federal office.
(2) A State in which, under law that is in effect continuously on and after August 1, 1994, or that was enacted on or prior to August 1, 1994, and by its terms is to come into effect upon the enactment of this chapter, so long as that law remains in effect, all voters in the State may register to vote at the polling place at the time of voting in a general election for Fed
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Source file: Laws/federal/codes/united-states-code/title-52/section-20503-national-procedures-for-voter-registration-for-elections-for-federal-off--5ce462770d.md
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Source location: Title 52, Chapter 205, § 20503; chapter-205-national-voter-registration.md
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**(a) In general** Except as provided in subsection (b), notwithstanding any other Federal or State law, in addition to any other method of voter registration provided for under State law, each State shall establish procedures to register to vote in elections for Federal office—
(1) by application made simultaneously with an application for a motor vehicle driver’s license pursuant to [section 20504 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title52-section20504&num=0&edition=prelim);
(2) by mail application pursuant to [section 20505 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title52-section20505&num=0&edition=prelim); and
(3) by application in person—
(A) at the appropriate registration site designated with respect to the residence of the applicant in accordance with State law; and
(B) at a Federal, State, or nongovernmental office designated under [section 20506 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title52-section20506&num=0&edition=prelim).
**(b) Nonapplicability to certain States** This chapter does not apply to a State described in either or both of the following paragraphs:
(1) A State in which, under law that is in effect continuously on and after August 1, 1994, there is no voter registration requirement for any voter in the State with respect to an election for Federal office.
(2) A State in which, under law that is in effect continuously on and after August 1, 1994, or that was enacted on or prior to August 1, 1994, and by its terms is to come into effect upon the enactment of this chapter, so long as that law remains in effect, all voters in the State may register to vote at the polling place at the time of voting in a general election for Federal office.
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Designation**
(1) Each State shall designate agencies for the registration of voters in elections for Federal office.
(2) Each State shall designate as voter registration agencies—
(A) all offices in the State that provide public assistance; and
(B) all offices in the State that provide State-funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities.
(3)
(A) In addition to voter registration agencies designated under paragraph (2), each State shall designate other offices within the State as voter registration agencies.
(B) Voter registration agencies designated under subparagraph (A) may include—
(i) State or local government offices such as public libraries, public schools, offices of city and county clerks (including marriage license bureaus), fishing and hunting license bureaus, government revenue offices, unemployment compensation offices, and offices not described in paragraph (2)(B) that provide services to persons with disabilities; and
(ii) Federal and nongovernmental offices, with the agreement of such offices.
(4)
(A) At each voter registration agency, the following services shall be made available:
(i) Distribution of mail voter registration application forms in accordance with paragraph (6).
(ii) Assistance to applicants in completing voter registration application forms, unless the applicant refuses such assistance.
(iii) Acceptance of completed voter registration application forms for transmittal to the appropriate State election official.
(B) If a voter registration agency designated under paragraph (2)(B) provides services to a person with a disability at the person’s home, the agency shall provide the services described in subparagraph (A) at the person’s home.
(5) A perso
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) In general**
(1) Each State motor vehicle driver’s license application (including any renewal application) submitted to the appropriate State motor vehicle authority under State law shall serve as an application for voter registration with respect to elections for Federal office unless the applicant fails to sign the voter registration application.
(2) An application for voter registration submitted under paragraph (1) shall be considered as updating any previous voter registration by the applicant.
**(b) Limitation on use of information** No information relating to the failure of an applicant for a State motor vehicle driver’s license to sign a voter registration application may be used for any purpose other than voter registration.
**(c) Forms and procedures**
(1) Each State shall include a voter registration application form for elections for Federal office as part of an application for a State motor vehicle driver’s license.
(2) The voter registration application portion of an application for a State motor vehicle driver’s license—
(A) may not require any information that duplicates information required in the driver’s license portion of the form (other than a second signature or other information necessary under subparagraph (C));
(B) may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to—
(i) prevent duplicate voter registrations; and
(ii) enable State election officials to assess the eligibility of the applicant and to administer voter registration and other parts of the election process;
(C) shall include a statement that—
(i) states each eligibility requirement (including citizenship);
(ii) contains an attestation that the applicant meets each such requirement; and
(iii) requires the signature of the applic
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Form**
(1) Each State shall accept and use the mail voter registration application form prescribed by the Federal Election Commission pursuant to [section 20508(a)(2) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title52-section20508/a/2&num=0&edition=prelim) for the registration of voters in elections for Federal office.
(2) In addition to accepting and using the form described in paragraph (1), a State may develop and use a mail voter registration form that meets all of the criteria stated in [section 20508(b) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title52-section20508/b&num=0&edition=prelim) for the registration of voters in elections for Federal office.
(3) A form described in paragraph (1) or (2) shall be accepted and used for notification of a registrant’s change of address.
**(b) Availability of forms** The chief State election official of a State shall make the forms described in subsection (a) available for distribution through governmental and private entities, with particular emphasis on making them available for organized voter registration programs.
**(c) First-time voters**
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a State may by law require a person to vote in person if—
(A) the person was registered to vote in a jurisdiction by mail; and
(B) the person has not previously voted in that jurisdiction.
(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply in the case of a person—
(A) who is entitled to vote by absentee ballot under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act [[52 U.S.C. 20301](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title52-section20301&num=0&edition=prelim) et seq.];
(B) who is provided the right to vote otherwise than in person under [section 20102(
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
### Statutory Notes
#### Codification
Section 1973gg–2 was editorially reclassified as [section 20503 of Title 52](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title52-section20503&num=0&edition=prelim), Voting and Elections.
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
Page 42
TITLE 52—VOTING AND ELECTIONS
§ 20502
be legally possible to adopt and place into effect
any amendments to the constitution of the State
that are necessary to permit such compliance with
this Act without requiring a special election; and
‘‘(2) with respect to any State not described in
paragraph (1), on January 1, 1995.’’
PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP
Pub. L. 104–132, title IX, § 902, Apr. 24, 1996, 110 Stat.
1317, provided that: ‘‘Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, a Federal, State, or local government agen-
cy may not use a voter registration card (or other re-
lated document) that evidences registration for an elec-
tion for Federal office, as evidence to prove United
States citizenship.’’
Similar provisions were contained in section 117 of
H.R. 2076, One Hundred Fourth Congress, as passed by
the House of Representatives on Dec. 6, 1995, and as en-
acted into law by Pub. L. 104–91, title I, § 101(a), Jan. 6,
1996, 110 Stat. 11, as amended by Pub. L. 104–99, title II,
§ 211, Jan. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 37.
§ 20502. Definitions
As used in this chapter—
(1) the term ‘‘election’’ has the meaning
stated in section 30101(1) of this title;
(2) the term ‘‘Federal office’’ has the mean-
ing stated in section 30101(3) of this title;
(3) the term ‘‘motor vehicle driver’s license’’
includes any personal identification document
issued by a State motor vehicle authority;
(4) the term ‘‘State’’ means a State of the
United States and the District of Columbia;
and
(5) the term ‘‘voter registration agency’’
means an office designated under section
20506(a)(1) of this title to perform voter reg-
istration activities.
(Pub. L. 103–31, § 3, May 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 77.)
Editorial Notes
CODIFICATION
Section was formerly classified to section 1973gg–1 of
Source: Supplied 2024 U.S. Code historical extraction · 52 U.S.C. § 20503
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