HB 796

Abstract

Voter registration; restoration of politicalrights upon release from incarceration; certain adjudications.Provides that any person who loses his political rights as a resultof a felony conviction shall be invested with those rights upon hisrelease from incarceration and shall be entitled to register to vote.The bill directs the Department of Corrections and the State Boardof Local and Regional Jails to transmit to the Department of Electionscertain information for incarcerated persons with a pending dateof release and requires the Department of Elections to process theinformation and make the necessary changes to the voter registrationsystem to permit such persons to register to vote by the date ofthe person's scheduled date of release. On the date of an incarcerated person's release, the appropriate authority is required by the billto provide a voter registration application, information on returningthe form by mail or completing it by electronic means, and an officialrelease document to serve as a safety net for voter registration.The bill amends the language regarding adjudications of mental incompetencyfor purposes of being qualified to vote; a person adjudicated tolack the capacity to understand the act of voting shall not be entitledto vote until that capacity has been reestablished.