Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 2.

This bill requires the department of safety to automatically register a qualified person to vote from information on an application for a driver license or photo identification card unless the person opts out, as discussed below.<br /> <br /> Under present law, the department of safety includes a voter registration application as part of any motor vehicle driver license application or photo identification license used in this state. Generally, an individual who completes the application and is otherwise eligible is registered to vote in accordance with the information supplied by the individual.<br /> <br /> This bill rewrites the above provisions so that under this bill the department of safety and each county election commission will register voters in accordance with the following:<br /> <br /> (1) The department of safety will obtain, as part of any application for the issuance or renewal of a driver license or photo identification license, the information required to register a voter in this state. An application must include a box to permit the applicant to decline to register to vote. This bill details other requirements for the application, including an attestation to permit the applicant, under penalty of perjury, and by the applicant's signature, to indicate whether the applicant meets the eligibility requirements for voting in this state; <br /> (2) The department of safety will provide to the appropriate county election commission a copy of the application of each applicant who does not check the box to indicate that the applicant declines to register to vote and who signs the attestation on the application indicating that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements for voting in this state; and<br /> (3) Upon receipt of an application, the administrator of elections for the county election commission will register the applicant to vote; <br /> (4) The application of an applicant who is registered to vote must be processed as <br /> an in-person voter registration;<br /> (5) A county election commission will be prohibited from using any information of <br /> an applicant for any purpose other than for an official purpose of the commission;<br /> (6) The department of safety must provide any change of residential address form with respect to a driver license or photo identification license to the appropriate county election commission in the manner set forth under (2). The provision of the form to a county election commission serves as notification of a change in residential address for purposes of future voter registration;<br /> (7) The driver license or photo identification license application and change of residential address forms used in this state will be subject to approval by the secretary of state for purposes of voter registration under this bill; and<br /> (8) The department of safety must transmit an application or change of residential address form to the appropriate county election commission as soon as practicable upon receipt. <br /> <br /> This bill adds additional, similar provisions so that the department of safety will obtain, as part of any application for the issuance or renewal of a driver license, the issuance of a driver's permit, or the issuance of a photo identification license to a person that is at least 15 years of age but not more than 18 years old, the information required to register a voter in this state. An application must include:<br /> <br /> (A) A box to permit the applicant to indicate the applicant's desire to register to vote upon turning 18 years old;<br /> (B) A statement specifying each eligibility requirement for voting in this state; and<br /> (C) An attestation to permit the applicant, under penalty of perjury, and by the applicant's signature, to indicate whether the applicant meets the eligibility requirements for voting in this state, other than the requirement that the applicant is 18 years old.<br /> <br /> Generally, requirements similar to those above in (2)-(8) will also apply under this registration mechanism.<br /> <br /> This bill provides that the department of safety may exhaust existing supplies of applications, forms, and documents before meeting the form requirements of this bill. For rulemaking purposes, this bill will take effect upon becoming law. For all other purposes, this bill will take effect July 1, 2016.<br /> <br />