Article 51, § 8 — Voter Registration Application Records and Reports

(a) (1) The Office of Driver Services, State Revenue Offices, public assistance agencies, disabilities agencies, and other voter registration agencies shall transmit all completed voter registration applications to the Secretary of State in sufficient time to allow the Secretary of State to transmit the applications to the appropriate permanent registrar no later than ten (10) days after the date of acceptance by the assisting agency. When applications are accepted within five (5) days before the last day of registration for an election, they must be transmitted no later than five (5) days after the date of acceptance at the assisting agency. (2) The Secretary of State shall transmit all mail voter registration applications to the appropriate permanent registrar no later than ten (10) days after the date of receipt. When applications are received within five (5) days before the last day of registration for an election, they must be transmitted no later than five (5) days after date of receipt. If forms are received by the wrong election office, they shall be forwarded to the appropriate permanent registrar not later than the fifth day after receipt. (b) The Office of Driver Services, State Revenue Offices, public assistance agencies, disabilities and other voter registration agencies shall collect data on the number of voter registration applications completed or declined at each agency, and any additional statistical evidence that the Secretary of State or the State Board of Election Commissioners deems necessary for program evaluation and shall retain such voter registration data for a period of two (2) years. (c) (1) The Secretary of State shall collect, maintain, and publish monthly statistical data reflecting the number of new voter registration applications, changes of address, name, and party affiliation, and declinations received by mail and in: (A) state revenue offices; (B) public assistance agencies; (C) disabilities agencies; (D) recruitment offices of the Armed Forces of the United States; (E) public libraries; and (F) offices of the Arkansas National Guard. (2) Every six (6) months the Secretary of State shall compile a statewide report available to the public reflecting the statistical data collected pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. This report shall be submitted to the United States Election Assistance Commission for the national report pursuant to the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, United States Code 52 USC § 20508. The state report shall also include: (A) Numbers of and descriptions of the agencies, and the method of integrating voter registration in the agencies, disaggregated by agency; (B) Numbers and descriptions of the public assistance programs and the method of integrating voter registration, disaggregated by program; (C) An assessment of the impact of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, United States Code 52 USC § 20508, on the administration of elections; and (D) Recommendations for improvements in procedures, forms, and other matters affected by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, United States Code 52 USC § 20508. (d) Every six (6) months the state-level administration of each voter registration agency shall issue a report to the Legislative Council and the Secretary of State containing: (1) The statistical and other information collected in each voter registration agency office, including the: (A) Number of and description of each voter registration agency; (B) Method of integrating voter registration in the voter registration agency; and (C) Total number of registration application forms transmitted to the Secretary of State, disaggregated by month by the voter registration agency; (2) The statistical and other information collected in each public assistance agency, including the: (A) Number of and description of each voter registration agency; (B) Method of integrating voter registration in the voter registration agency; and (C) Number of registration application forms transmitted to the Secretary of State, disaggregated by month by the voter registration agency; and (3) Recommendations for improvements in procedures, forms, and other matters, including training. (e) Information relating to the place where a person registered to vote, submitted a voter registration application, or updated voter registration records, and information relating to declination forms is confidential and exempt from the Freedom of Information Act, § 25-19-101, et seq.