Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Voter Registration Cancellation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bill would require a signed request to cancel voter registration, supporters say it protects voters
Summary
HB193 would add a requirement that voter-registration cancellation requests be signed by the elector. County election officials testified the change would align cancellation procedures with registration and improve verification; no opponents testified.
Chair Julie Darling opened the hearing on House Bill 193, which would add the word "signed" to the statutory requirement that an elector’s written request to cancel their voter registration be signed. "This is just a simple ask, just adding extra security and making sure that whoever is requesting the cancellation actually has the authority to cancel it on their own behalf," Chair Darling (the bill’s sponsor) told the committee.
County election officials supported the change. Connor Fitzpatrick (Lewis and Clark County) explained that counties use a signature on cancellation forms as a verification step and that a signature helps compare the request to the voter’s record. Bradley Seaman (Missoula County) testified the change would align cancellation with registration and other updates, noting that, under current law, cancellation can be done by email and lacks a statutory signature requirement. Amy Reeves (Lewis and Clark County) said requiring a signature protects voters from inadvertent or fraudulent cancellations.
The committee heard no opponents. The sponsor and proponents characterized HB193 as a simple measure to add verification to cancellation requests; the hearing closed with the sponsor urging support.
Next steps: HB193 will move through committee consideration; county election officials suggested it would standardize and strengthen existing practices.
