DMVConfidentinVoterApplicationProcedures;CitesFederal

CompliancewithCurrentPoliciesandProcedures
TheNevadaDepartmentofMotorVehiclesreceivedaletterfrom
theNevadaSecretaryofStatesOfficeonFridayevening,questioning
thevoterregistrationpracticescurrentlyinplacebytheDepartment.Ina
responsesentonSaturday,theDepartmentstated,Yourlettercomesas
acompletesurpriseasyouandyourofficehavereviewed,contributed
to,andapprovedtheprocessesyouareexpressingconcernsabout.
TheDepartmentisoneofseveralpassthroughorganizationsinthe
statethatacceptsvoterregistrationapplicationsinaccordancewiththe
NationalVoterRegistrationAct(NVRA)of1993.TheNVRA,
commonlyreferredtoasthefederalMotorVoterLaw,requireseach
statesmotorvehicledriverslicenseapplicationand/orrenewaltoalso
serveasasimultaneousvoterregistrationapplication.WhentheDMV
receivesanapplicationfromacustomer,itisthentransmittedtothe
appropriateagency,mostoftenacountyclerkorregistrarsoffice,for
processing.TheselocationsserveundertheSecretaryofStatesOffice
astheofficialsresponsiblefordeterminingeligibilityandprocessing
voterapplications.
AlthoughtheDMVhasalwaysservedasapassthroughfor
applications,priortoSeptember2016,citizensinterestedinregistering
tovotewererequiredtocompleteaseparatevoterregistration
application,eventhoughmuchoftherequestedinformationwasthe
same.Througharecentmultiphaseimplementation,theMotorVoter
processhasbeenchangedtobeinfullcompliancewiththefederal
guidelines,eliminatingtheneedforcustomerstoduplicateinformation.
TheDMVstartedconversationswithrepresentativesfromthe
AmericanCivilLibertiesUnion(ACLU)Demos,MiFamilaVota
EducationFund,theLeagueofWomenVotersofNevadaandthe
SecretaryofStatesOfficeinordertoupdatepractices.OurAttorney
Generalsofficehasbeenalongsideusduringthisprocess,providing
theiradviceandcounseltoensurewearefollowingallfederalandstate
laws,saidDMVDirectorTerriAlbertson.
 Thetransmittalofvoterapplicationshasalsobecomeelectronicas
partoftherecentimprovements,butallpaperapplicationsarestillsent
totheappropriateregistrar/clerksofficetoenablethemtocompareand
validatetheinformationduringregistration.
InMarch,DemosannouncedthefinalizationofaMemorandumof
Understanding(MOU)signedincooperationwiththeDMVaswellas
theSecretaryofStatesOfficetoensurepracticesaligninaccordance
withFederalguidelines.InthatMOU,itstates,TheDMVshallprovide
theappropriateClerk/RegistrarallVoterRegistrationApplications
returnedbycustomerswithoutregardtotheircompleteness.Perthe
NVRA,theonlyreasontheDMVoranypassthroughagencycanrefuse
anapplicationisduetoalackofsignature.