§ 32-310 — Voter registration; State Department of Education; Department of Health and Human Services; duties; confidentiality; persons involved in registration; status; delivery of applications; when; registration; when

(1) The State Department
of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services shall provide
the opportunity to register to vote at the time of application, review, or
change of address for the following programs, as applicable: (a) The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; (b)
the medicaid program; (c) the WIC program as defined in section 71-2225 ; (d)
the aid to dependent children program; (e) the vocational rehabilitation program;
and (f) any other public assistance program or program primarily for the purpose
of providing services to persons with disabilities. If the application, review,
or change of address is accomplished through an agent or contractor of the
department, the agent or contractor shall provide the opportunity to register
to vote. Any information on whether an applicant registers or declines to
register and the agency at which he or she registers shall be confidential
and shall only be used for voter registration purposes.
(2) The department, agent, or contractor shall make the mail-in
registration application described in section 32-320 available at the time
of application, review, or change of address and shall provide assistance,
if necessary, to the applicant in completing the application to register to
vote. The department shall retain records indicating whether an applicant
accepted or declined the opportunity to register to vote.
(3) Department personnel, agents, and contractors involved
in the voter registration process pursuant to this section shall not be considered
deputy registrars or agents or employees of the election commissioner or county
clerk.
(4) The applicant may return the completed voter registration
application to the department, agent, or contractor or may personally mail
or deliver the application to the election commissioner or county clerk as
provided in section 32-321 . If the applicant returns the completed application
to the department, agent, or contractor, the department, agent, or contractor
shall deliver the application to the election commissioner or county clerk
of the county in which the office of the department, agent, or contractor
is located not later than ten days after receipt by the department, agent,
or contractor, except that if the application is returned to the department,
agent, or contractor within five days prior to the third Friday preceding
any election, it shall be delivered not later than five days after the date
it is returned. The election commissioner or county clerk shall, if necessary,
forward the application to the election commissioner or county clerk of the
county in which the applicant resides within such prescribed time limits.
The application shall be completed and returned to the department, agency,
or contractor by the close of business on the third Friday preceding any election
to be registered to vote at such election. A registration application received
after the deadline shall not be processed by the election commissioner or
county clerk until after the election.
(5) The departments shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations
to ensure compliance with this section.

Legislative History

Source: Laws 1994, LB 76, § 72; Laws 1996, LB 1044, § 93; Laws 1997, LB 764, § 33; Laws 2005, LB 566, § 9; Laws 2007, LB296, § 51; Laws 2009, LB288, § 1.