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Senate committee gives favorable report to bill removing code reference to private voter-registration database
Summary
A Senate committee voted to give Senate Bill 142 a favorable report; the measure removes a section of state code allowing use of a private electronic registration information center for voter registration and clarifies use of a national database, according to a Secretary of State staff explanation.
A state Senate committee voted to give Senate Bill 142 a favorable report after a short presentation from the Secretary of State’s office. Senator Kelly moved for the favorable report and Senator Hatcher seconded; the committee recorded the outcome as a favorable report.
The bill removes a section of state code that refers to an “electronic registration information center,” described in the hearing as a private business that collects voters’ information. A staff member from the Secretary of State’s office told the committee, “SB 142 just removes one little section right now in our current state code and amends for the electronic registration information center which is a private business that collects people's information. And it says that when using, information for voter registration, you have to use a national database.”
The staff member said the Secretary of State’s office has created its own system and that neighboring states use similar systems. “We actually there's multiple states that use the same system so we have agreements with Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky,” the staff member said.
Senator Kitchens thanked the secretary of state's office for bringing the bill and for the work on the new system, saying, “when people die, nobody thinks to call the board of registrars... People move oftentimes to adjacent states and you don't know that and we have no way of being able to track it and I understand there's a link that you all would be able to get that information whereas in the past you've not been able to.”
Senators who verbally registered “aye” during the roll call included Senator Albritton, Senator Coleman, Senator Hatcher, Senator Hovey, Senator Chambliss and Senator Elliott; the committee chair declared the bill received a favorable report.
The measure will proceed to the full Senate for further consideration.
