ADDITION TO PERMANENT REGISTRATION RECORD FOR VOTING This bill provides for the addition of new language on the permanent registration record when a person registers to vote. This bill requires a registrant to provide the registrant's statewide political party or recognized minor party affiliation, and provides that a voter choosing not to select a statewide political party or recognized minor party affiliation is deemed to be an independent and is not eligible to vote in a primary election. DECLARING A PARTY AFFILIATION This bill generally requires a qualified voter who has not declared a political party affiliation to declare a statewide political party or recognized minor party affiliation at the first primary election in which the person casts a vote after the effective date of this act. The county election commission must then add that information to the voter's permanent registration record. This bill authorizes a registered voter affiliated with a political party who chooses to declare a different statewide political party or recognized minor party affiliation prior to a primary election to only do so more than 30 days prior to the election. This bill further provides that new and existing registered voters who have not declared a political party affiliation in accordance with this bill prior to the primary election in August of 2026, are deemed to be independent voters, and the respective county election commission must then add that information to the voters' permanent registration record. PRIMARY ELECTIONS, QUALIFICATIONS TO VOTE Under present law, a registered voter is entitled to vote in a primary election for offices for which the voter is qualified to vote at the polling place where the voter is registered if (i) the voter is a bona fide member of and affiliated with the political party in whose primary the voter seeks to vote; or, (ii) at the time the voter seeks to vote, the voter declares allegiance to the political party in whose primary the voter seeks to vote and states that the voter intends to affiliate with that party. This bill authorizes, instead, a registered voter to vote in a primary election for offices for which the voter is qualified to vote at the polling place where the voter is registered if (i) the voter is registered as being affiliated with that political party or (ii) the primary election is the first primary election the voter has participated in after the effective date of this act and the voter declares allegiance to that political party. The party affiliation declared by the voter must then be added to the voter's permanent registration record. ADDITION TO VOTER WEBSITE – PARTY AFFILIATION Present law requires the coordinator of elections to establish a website permitting an applicant to submit a voter registration application, submit information necessary to establish an applicant's eligibility to vote, and swear or affirm the required oath. This bill requires such website to permit an applicant to affiliate with, or change a registered voter's affiliation with, a statewide political party or recognized minor party. This bill provides that, except for voters affiliating with a political party at a primary election in accordance with this bill, affiliation or change in affiliation with a statewide political party or recognized minor party may only be accepted and processed more than 30 days before the next primary election in the jurisdiction in which the voter resides.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2-2-116, 2-7-115, 2-2-112(b), 2-2-112