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A RESOLUTION
21-588
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
September 20, 2016
To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to amend the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955 to allow registered voters who moved within the District of Columbia, but did not notify the District of Columbia Board of Elections of their change of address before the deadline, to vote at the precinct serving their current address.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Election Day Change of Address Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2016”.
Sec. 2. (a) Section 7 of the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955, approved August 12, 1955 (69 Stat. 699; D.C. Official Code § 1-1001.07) (“District of Columbia Election Code”), establishes the District of Columbia’s voter requirements, including the requirements and deadlines for becoming a qualified elector and where qualified electors may vote.
(b) The Primary Date Alteration Amendment Act of 2014, effective May 2, 2015 (D.C. Law 20-273; 62 DCR 6644), amended section 7(i)(4) (D.C. Official Code § 1-1001.07(i)(4)) of the District of Columbia Election Code to require that voters who have moved within the District but did not notify the District of Columbia Board of Elections of their move before the change of address deadline, prior to being permitted to vote, file a notice of change of address with the District of Columbia Board of Elections at the precinct serving their former residence address during early voting or on election day. The amendment further provided that a voter who files an election day change of address must vote at the precinct serving their former address.
(c) The June 14, 2016, primary election was the first election in which these new requirements were in force. The effect of the change was that many voters were required to return to their old precinct in order to cast a ballot. Although the change in the law was intended to reduce the number of special ballots required to be processed by the District of Columbia Board of Elections, the change has led to voter confusion and does not effectuate the goal of removing barriers to voting.
(d) Early voting for the General Election will take place from October 22, 2016, through November 4, 2016, with Election Day on November 8, 2016. This emergency legislation will allow a voter who moved within the District but failed to provide the District of Columbia Board of Elections a notice of change of address before the deadline, to file a notice of change of address and vote at the precinct serving their new, current address.
Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Election Day Change of Address Emergency Amendment Act of 2016 be adopted after a single reading.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
