(a) Establishment.--The department shall develop and establish a Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors to be known as the SURE system.
(b) Advisory board.--(Repealed).
(c) Requirements.--The SURE system shall be developed as a single, uniform integrated computer system. All commissions shall be connected electronically to the SURE system and shall maintain their registration records in the system. The SURE system shall, at a minimum, do all of the following:
(1) Contain a database of all registered electors in this Commonwealth.
(2) Ensure the integrity and accuracy of all registration records in the system by prohibiting unauthorized entry, modification or deletion of registration records.
(3) Assign a unique SURE registration number to each individual currently registered in this Commonwealth.
(4) Permit the commissions to add, modify and delete information in the system as is necessary and appropriate.
(5) Permit each commission and the department to have instant access to a commission's registration records maintained on the system.
(6) Be the general register for a commission once the commission is connected to the SURE system.
(7) Permit each commission and the department to review and search the system and to permit the sending of notices to the appropriate officials regarding death, change of address or other information which could affect the qualifications of an applicant or the registration of a registered elector.
(8) Provide for the electronic transfer of completed voter registration applications and changes of address in accordance with this part.
(9) Preserve the power of the commissions to make determinations as to the qualifications of applicants.
(10) Assign a unique SURE registration number to each qualified elector who becomes registered and record the registered elector in the general register of the appropriate commission.
(11) Permit auditing of each registered elector's registration record from the day of its creation until the day it is canceled.
(12) Permit the department to implement section 1901(b)(1)(i) (relating to removal of electors).
(13) Permit the timely printing and transmission by commissions of district registers and all other information contained in the system as may be necessary for the operation of the polling places on election days.
(14) Be designed with an emergency recovery system to ensure that registration records are not lost in the case of an emergency, natural disaster or other such event that could cause the system to malfunction.
(15) Identify the election district to which a qualified elector or registered elector should be assigned.
(16) Create and produce reports required by this part.
(17) Identify duplicate voter registrations on a countywide and Statewide basis.
(18) Maintain a record of polling place locations and district election officers.
(19) Identify registered electors who have been issued absentee ballots for an election in accordance with the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code.
(20) Identify registered electors who vote in an election and the method by which their ballots were cast.
(21) Print the wallet-sized identification cards required by section 1328 (relating to approval of registration applications).
(d) Records.--Within 30 days of receiving notice from the department, each commission shall provide to the department, in the manner and form established by the department, an electronic copy of its registration records. Beginning 60 days after receiving notice in accordance with this subsection and continuing until the commission is connected to the SURE system, each commission shall provide monthly to the department, in the manner and form established by the department, an electronic copy of its general register. The provision of records in accordance with this subsection shall not be considered a part of the establishment or implementation of the SURE system.
(e) Implementation.--The department shall implement the SURE system as soon as possible. The department shall establish by regulation a schedule for each commission to be connected to the SURE system. Commissions shall be connected in an order which maximizes the accuracy, integrity and protection of registration records on a Statewide basis. Upon being connected, each commission shall be required to use the SURE system as its general register. Connection of the commissions shall commence no later than August 31, 2002, and shall be completed Statewide by January 1, 2005.
(f) Regulations.--The secretary shall promulgate regulations necessary to establish, implement and administer the SURE system. Regulations shall include all of the following:
(1) Uniform procedures for the commissions relating to the SURE system, including the process and manner of entering information into the SURE system, the type and form of information to be entered, the process for identifying and removing duplicate registrations, the manner and time frame for updating information in the system and the manner and form of communications between commissions and between the department and a commission.
(2) Periodic training requirements for commissions and their employees.
(3) Such other regulations as are necessary to ensure that the SURE system shall comply with all other provisions of this part.