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Committee hears bill to require signed requests to cancel voter registrations
Summary
House Bill 193 would require a voter’s written cancellation request to be signed; county elections officials told the committee the measure would align cancellation procedures with registration and help prevent unauthorized cancellations.
Representative Julie Darling told the House State Administration Committee that House Bill 193 “adds in the word signed. Elector submits a sign written request for cancellation.” The sponsor said codifying a signature requirement would standardize the cancellation process across counties and add a security check.
Nut graf: County election officials said cancellation requests can presently be submitted without a signature by email or other written means, and requiring a signature would bring the cancellation process in line with registration and updates. Supporters argued the requirement would protect voters from inadvertent or unauthorized cancellations.
Connor Fitzpatrick, Lewis and Clark County elections supervisor, supplied a copy of his county’s cancellation form and said the local practice includes a signature as an additional verification item. Bradley Seaman, Missoula County elections administrator, said cancellation is one of the few election actions that currently does not require a signature and argued that adding one would increase confidence that the request comes from the registered voter. Amy Reeves, Lewis and Clark County clerk and recorder, echoed the point: “It does protect them in the sense that someone else cannot cancel their registration inadvertently.”
Ending: The committee heard consistent proponent testimony from county elections officials and the secretary of state’s office provided informational presence; no opponents and no formal action were recorded in the hearing transcript.
