410-RICR-20-00-21. Periodic Updating of Voter Registration Records (version Periodic Refile, 04/20/2006 to 12/19/2007)

RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR LOCAL BOARDS OF CANVASSERS IN THE PERIODIC UPDATING OF VOTER REGISTRATION RECORDS Promulgated by order of The Rhode Island State Board of Elections Roger N. Begin, Chairman RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR LOCAL BOARDS OF CANVASSERS IN THE PERIODIC UPDATING OF VOTER REGISTRATION RECORDS The Rhode Island State Board of Elections has promulgated the within rules and regulations relative to the processing of changes in voter registration records in conjunction with the periodic updating of voter registration records of all persons registered to vote in the several cities and towns of the State of Rhode Island as mandated by section 17-9.1-27 of the Rhode Island General Laws. The Rules adopted by the State Board of Elections are established in accordance with Title 17, Chapter 7 of the Rhode Island General Laws of 1956, as amended. Said rules and regulations are established in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act (R.I.G.L. Section 42-35-1, et al.) and available for public inspection, submissions or requests at the Office of the Secretary of State, Documents and Records Division, State House, Providence, Rhode Island. In order to provide uniformity to the confirmation process and updating of voter registration records in conjunction with the United States Postal Service (USPS), National Change of Address (NCOA) Program records, each of the local canvassing authorities shall be required to process information received through the National Change of Address Program as follows: Pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the Office of the Secretary of State, local canvassing authorities shall provide the Office of the Secretary of State with their voter registration list as of September 30, 1999 in accordance with the format set forth in said rules. The Office of the Secretary of State will send the local canvassing authority voting list to a USPS certified vendor for comparison against the list provided by the NCOA Program and will provide the local canvassing authority with the information obtained from the NCOA Program. This information will be provided on hard copy and on disk. In accordance with Section 17-9.1-27 of the Rhode Island General Laws, when the NCOA Program detects an address change for any voter, the local board of canvassers shall institute the confirmation process described in section 17-9.1-26. Accordingly, all local boards of canvassers shall be responsible for conducting the confirmation process, maintaining all documents associated with same, and updating all records as necessary as mandated by state law. Within twenty (20) days of receipt of the data from the Office of the Secretary of State, local boards shall institute the confirmation process outlined in section 17-9.1-26. A mailing, using the form prescribed by the State Board of Elections (“NCOA notice”), shall be sent to each voter at the address currently on file with the local board of canvassers and at the address provided through the NCOA Program. The local canvassing authority must include the voter’s name and address as it appears on the voting list in “Block A” on the form. They must also fill in “Block B” with the name of the voter and the address provided by the vendor for the National Change of Address Program. The prescribed form is attached* to these rules and regulations and made a part thereof. Local Boards may, at their discretion, reproduce this form electronically; if doing so, they must submit a copy of their reproduction to the State Board of Elections for approval prior to using same. Local boards must advise voters, by providing the appropriate date in the space provided on the form, that they must respond to the form within fourteen (14) days of the date the form was mailed to the voter. Sufficient postage must be affixed by the local boards for first class forward mailing of these forms to the voter. Postage to return the completed notice shall be the responsibility of the voter. All forms will be pre-addressed to be returned to the State Board of Elections where they will be sorted, recorded and forwarded to the appropriate local boards of canvassers. Upon receipt of the completed forms, local boards shall proceed to implement the next step in the confirmation process based upon the information received from the voter on the returned form or the failure of the voter to return the form. Said procedures are outlined in the chart attached* to these rules and regulations and made a part hereof. Local boards must implement this step in the process as outlined on the chart under the heading “Action Taken By Local Board of Canvassers” forthwith upon receiving the voter’s completed “NCOA notice” from the State Board of Elections. Any situations not addressed on the chart will be handled on a case by case basis with the State Board of Elections making a determination after a review of the matter. By the order of the Rhode Island State Board of Elections, Roger N. Begin, Chairman Adopted at a meeting of the State Board of Elections held on the 7th day of July, 1999. Witnessed by R. J. Fontaine, Executive Director *The prescribed form and/or procedure chart for NCOA changes may be obtained by visiting the Board of Elections at 50 Branch Avenue, Providence, RI 02904 or by calling (401) 222-2345.