16-140. Voter registration assistance agencies;
definitions
A. All public assistance agencies and disabilities agencies in this state shall
provide the opportunity to register to vote for those persons who apply for benefits or
appear at the agency to renew, recertify or change address information. The voter
registration form shall be accompanied by a statement form that includes substantially
the following:
1. The statement "If you are not registered to vote where you live now, would you
like to apply to register to vote here today?
{ } Yes { } No
If you do not check either box, you will be considered to have decided not to register to
vote at this time."
2. If the agency provides public assistance, the statement "Applying to register or
declining to register to vote will not affect the amount of assistance that you will be
provided by this agency."
3. The statement "If you would like help in filling out the voter registration
application form, we will help you. The decision to seek or accept help is yours. You
may fill out the application form in private."
4. The statement "If you believe that someone has interfered with your right to
register or to decline to register to vote, or your right to choose your own political
party or other political preference, you may file a complaint with the secretary of
state." This statement shall be followed by the name, address and telephone number of the
secretary of state.
B. Each public assistance agency or disabilities agency shall provide to each
person who applies for that agency's services the same degree of assistance for voter
registration that it provides for the completion of the agency's own forms, unless that
person refuses assistance. Each public assistance or disabilities agency shall accept
completed registration forms from persons who receive a registration form from that
office.
C. If a person indicates "no" or fails to indicate either "yes" or "no" on the form
prescribed by subsection A, the form shall be deemed to indicate a declination to
register to vote. All declination forms shall be preserved as a confidential record and
shall be forwarded periodically to the Arizona state library, archives and public records
for retention for two years. Declination forms are exempt from title 39, chapter 1 and
may be disclosed only for voter registration purposes.
D. Voter registration information that is generated pursuant to this section and
that is public information as otherwise provided by law shall not provide any public
indication of the source of these registrations. Registration forms may bear a unique,
coded marking that does not publicly or readily disclose the voter registration agency or
additional voter registration volunteer that was the source of the registration. The
coded markings for a form may be translated or otherwise read only by election officials
and only for purposes permitted by the national voter registration act of 1993 (P.L.
103-31; 107 Stat. 77; 42 United States Code section 394).
E. A county recorder may designate additional voter registration volunteers. These
additional voter registration volunteers may provide state mail in registration forms to
persons who wish to register to vote.
F. For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
1. "Additional voter registration volunteer" means a person, group or entity that
is not a public assistance or disabilities agency and that is designated by a county
recorder as another voter registration provider pursuant to section 7(a)(3)(A) of the
national voter registration act of 1993 (P.L. 103-31; 107 Stat. 77; 42 United States Code
section 394) and may include governmental, nonprofit or other private organizations.
2. "Disabilities agency" means all offices of an agency in this state that provide
state funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to persons with
disabilities.
3. "Public assistance agency" means all offices of an agency in this state that
provide public assistance.
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