Title 21, Chapter 2, Section 215
( 21-2-215)
(a) For the purpose of taking and processing applications for
registration and for the purpose of registering electors, such
number of registrars or deputy registrars as shall be designated by
the chief registrar shall be stationed in the main office of the
board of registrars. (b) In those counties in which the registrars have a main office
separate from other county offices, the main office shall be in the
courthouse or other public building at the county site. In those
counties in which the registrars do not have an office separate from
other county offices, the office of the chief deputy registrar or
other office designated by the board of registrars which is
accessible at all times during normal business hours shall be deemed
to be the main office of the board of registrars. (c) The main office of the board of registrars in each county shall
remain open for business during regular office hours on each
business day, except Saturday. The main office, or such other
offices, shall be open at such designated times other than the
normal business hours as shall reasonably be necessary to facilitate
registration and at such other hours as will suit the convenience of
the public. (d) The board of registrars may designate additional registration
places throughout the county on a temporary or permanent basis.
These additional offices for registration will have fixed hours of
operation. All voter registration places shall be places open to
the general public and frequented by the general public. Such
places for temporary or permanent voter registration may include,
but shall not be limited to, any of the following: churches,
synagogues, governmentally funded and managed public housing
facilities, public social agencies, public child care centers,
public recreation centers, public buildings and shopping centers,
multifamily apartment complexes, child care centers, and educational
facilities, provided that such places are in fact open to and
frequented by the general public. (e) Additional registration places and the hours of operation shall
be advertised in a newspaper of general circulation in the county or
in the form of a public service announcement on radio or television
one or more times at least three days prior to the first day for
registration. (f) The State Election Board shall adopt rules and regulations
setting forth criteria governing the selection of voter registration
places in conformity with the provisions of subsection (d) of this
Code section. Boards of registrars shall not adopt rules nor
utilize procedures inconsistent with such rules and regulations
adopted by the State Election Board; provided, however, that nothing
contained in this subsection shall supersede the ultimate authority
of local boards in selecting additional voter registration sites. (g) Each principal or assistant principal of every public or private
high school, the president of every public or private college or
university, the president of each state supported technical
institute in this state, and the designee of such principal,
assistant principal, college or university president, or state
supported technical institute president shall be a deputy registrar
of the county in which the school, college, university, or institute
is located for the purpose of receiving voter registration
applications from those qualified applicants who are enrolled
students within the principal's school or the president's college,
university, or institute or who are employed by the private high
school, the school system, the college or university, or the state
supported technical institute, notwithstanding the fact that such
students or employees are not residents of the county in which the
school, college, university, or institute is located. Such
principals, assistant principals, presidents, and their designees
shall inform their students and employees of the availability of
such voter registration and shall provide reasonable and convenient
procedures to enable such persons who are qualified applicants to
register. The principal of each public or private high school, the
president of each public or private college or university, and the
president of each state supported technical institute are authorized
to invite other deputy registrars to the school, college,
university, or institute for the purpose of conducting voter
registration. All such deputy registrars authorized by this
subsection shall receive annual training by the board of registrars
of the county in which such deputy registrar shall work. (h) The completed registration cards in the custody of the board of
registrars and the other papers of the board of registrars shall be
secured and maintained in the main office of the board of
registrars, with the exception that completed registration cards may
be retained temporarily at permanent additional voter registration
places established under this Code section but shall be transmitted
to the main office as expeditiously as possible by a registrar or
deputy registrar or by United States mail. In no event shall the
completed registration cards be temporarily retained beyond the end
of the next business day. However, in counties in which a computer
system for the electronic imaging of the entire voter registration
card or the signature of the voter is operational and permits the
registrars to view the signature of the voter electronically, the
completed registration cards may be stored in a secure area outside
of the main office of the board of registrars, provided that such
cards may be retrieved within a reasonable time in the event that
the actual card is needed. The electronic image of the voter's
signature may be used by the registrars in the same manner as the
original signature on the voter registration card to verify absentee
ballot applications, absentee ballots, petitions, and other
documents which require the registrars to compare the signature of
the voter on the document to the signature on the voter's
registration card. (i) The board of registrars shall enter into the state-wide voter
registration system credit for voting by qualified electors to the
Secretary of State within 60 days of a primary or election for the
purpose of maintaining the list of electors and voter history. (j) At such time as the Secretary of State certifies that a system
for the digitization of all or a portion of the completed
registration cards is operational, the board of registrars shall
expeditiously transmit the registration card for each elector whose
registration has been approved to the Secretary of State. The
Secretary of State shall retain such cards after processing for the
period of time set forth in this article. |