Oklahoma House Bill HB1643

Oklahoma 2023 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/23
• Refer: 2/7/23

Caption

Elections; voter registration of deceased persons; requiring death records from Social Security Administration; effective date.

Impact

The implementation of HB1643, effective January 1, 2024, is expected to streamline the process of updating voter registration systems. The bill empowers the Secretary of the State Election Board and county election boards to systematically verify the statuses of voters against official death records, thereby protecting the electoral process from potential fraud linked to deceased voters' registrations. This measure signifies a proactive approach to maintaining accurate electoral rolls, which is crucial for fair elections.

Summary

House Bill 1643 seeks to enhance the process of removing deceased voters from the electoral rolls in Oklahoma. The bill mandates that the Secretary of the State Election Board obtains monthly death records from the Social Security Administration. This list should include personal identifiers such as the decedent's name, date of death, and date of birth, which will then be compared against the state's voter registration database to identify and cancel registrations of deceased individuals within a specified timeframe. The goal is to maintain the integrity of the state's voter rolls by ensuring that the names of deceased persons do not remain on the list of eligible voters.

Contention

Opponents of the bill may express concerns regarding the privacy and handling of sensitive information, particularly regarding how death records are processed and accessed. There could also be discussions relating to the speed at which deceased voters' registrations are updated, ensuring it does not unnecessarily impact family members who may be dealing with the loss of a loved one. Furthermore, the bill requires that rigorous protocol be established in order to safeguard against the misuse of personal data, especially in contexts where it may intersect with voter identity theft issues.