(a) To facilitate the continuous maintenance of the computerized statewide voter registration list, each county board of registrars shall investigate written reports from a family member of an elector, the inspector of an election precinct, the judge of probate, the sheriff, and the clerk of the circuit court that an elector registered to vote in a precinct has died or become a nonresident of the precinct in which he or she is registered to vote. The inspector, judge of probate, sheriff, or clerk of the circuit court shall provide the board of registrars, on a form to be prescribed by the Secretary of State, sufficient information to identify the elector in the statewide voter file and a statement as to the source and nature of the information upon which he or she believes a person is deceased or has become a nonresident of the precinct in which he or she is registered to vote.
(b) To facilitate the continuous maintenance of the computerized statewide voter registration list, each county board of registrars shall investigate signed, written reports from a member of an elector's family that the elector is deceased. The family member shall complete a form to be prescribed by the Secretary of State identifying the name of the elector who is deceased, the name of the family member reporting the death, the relationship of the family member to the elector, and other identifying information as specified by the Secretary of State to facilitate investigation of the claim that the elector is deceased.
(c) Each county board of registrars, whenever it receives a written report provided in accordance with subsection (a) that an elector has become a nonresident of the precinct in which he or she is registered to vote, shall investigate and determine if the elector should be disqualified from the statewide voter registration list. Upon determining that the elector should be disqualified from the statewide voter registration list, the county board of registrars shall give notice to the elector of the proposed change in status by U.S. mail to the last known mailing address of the elector. The elector shall be provided 30 days to respond to the determination by the county board of registrars and provide the registrars evidence as to his or her qualifications to remain a qualified elector at the residential address as recorded in his or her voter registration record.
(d) Each county board of registrars, whenever it receives a written report provided in accordance with subsection (a) or (b) that an elector is deceased, shall determine if the elector should be disqualified from the statewide voter registration list. If the information regarding the elector's death is based on official records maintained in the office of the judge of probate, sheriff, or clerk of the circuit court, the county board of registrars shall forthwith remove the elector from the statewide voter registration list without the requirement of further investigation. If the information regarding the elector's death is not based on official records maintained in the office of the judge of probate, sheriff, or clerk of the circuit court, the county board of registrars shall investigate to confirm whether the elector is deceased.
(e) To further the implementation of subsection (d), the State Registrar in the Department of Public Health may render a bill to the Department of Finance for any fee required pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of Section 22-9A-22 when a county board of registrars requests copies of records as part of its investigation of a report of an elector's death.
(f) The Secretary of State is granted rulemaking authority under the Alabama Administrative Procedure Act for establishing procedures and forms to be used in the implementation of this section.
Last modified: May 3, 2021