An Act to update maintenance requirements for voter registration files.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of South Dakota:
Section 1. That 12-4-9 be AMENDED:
12-4-9.
The county auditor
shall maintain and safeguard a file of voters in computer format that
contains the information of each person registered in each voting
precinct within the county. This file shall be known as the master
registration file and shall be, at all times during office hours,
open to public inspection. However, public access to social security
numbers, driver license numbers, and dates of birth contained in the
master registration file is prohibited. The master registration file
shall
must contain
all information from each voter's registration card. The master
registration file
shall
must also
include the date of the last election the voter has voted in and when
the voter's information was last updated. The master registration
file may also contain additional voter history information. Any voter
registration form for a purged or unregistered voter
shall
must be kept
for twenty-two months. No purged or unregistered voter may be
included in the master registration file.
The master registration file must be updated twice each year,
including no less than sixty days prior to a general election.
Section 2. That chapter 12-4 be amended with a NEW SECTION:
If the county auditor has reason to believe that a person no longer resides at the person's registered address, the auditor shall mail a notice to that person requesting confirmation that the person still resides at the person's registered address. The county auditor shall remove the person from the master registration file if the person fails to:
(1) Respond to the notice and vote in the registered precinct at least once during a period of four consecutive years covering two general federal elections; or
(2) Update the voter's registration with the auditor and vote at least once during a period of four consecutive years covering two general federal elections.
The secretary of state, pursuant to chapter 1-26 and in compliance with federal law, shall prescribe by rule the means to remove a person from the master registration list pursuant to this section and create the confirmation notice that is sent to a registered voter before removal.