The bill aims to revise the elector registration laws in Montana by requiring the Secretary of State to verify the citizenship status of new applicants. It mandates that the Motor Vehicle Division of the Department of Justice assist in this verification process when applicants provide a driver's license. The bill removes the previous provision that allowed individuals whose citizenship status was not yet verified to vote, thereby tightening the requirements for voter registration.

Additionally, the bill introduces new procedures for verifying citizenship status, which must be established by January 1, 2024. These procedures will categorize a new registrant's citizenship status as verified, not yet verified, or noncitizen, and will allow applicants to have their registrations accepted and processed while their citizenship verification is pending. Furthermore, individuals whose registrations have been accepted will still be permitted to vote during the verification process. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
HB0402_1.pdf: 13-2-109
HB0402_2.pdf: 13-2-109
Amended: 13-2-109
Introduced: 13-2-109