Relating to the conduct of elections, including challenges to voter registrations by persons in other counties and the preparation of lists of registered voters, and making penalties applicable

This bill relates to the conduct of elections, including challenges to voter registration and the preparation of lists of registered voters. The bill allows a registered voter to challenge the voter registration of a person in another county. The challenge shall substantially comply with requirements under current law for a challenger who lives in the same county as a challenged registrant. The bill requires the state registrar of voters to create a form to allow a registered voter to challenge the registration of a registered voter in another county under the bill without the assistance of an attorney. The bill does not require the challenger to attend a hearing held regarding the challenge. A person who files a challenge containing false information commits an aggravated misdemeanor. An aggravated misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than two years and a fine of at least $855 but not more than $8,540.39 (use of registration information) and requires the state registrar of voters to immediately prepare a list of registered voters upon the satisfaction of those requirements. The bill defines “bona fide political research”, which is a permissible use of information obtained from voter registration records under current law, to include work by an individual to research and help maintain the voter registration database.