Okla. Admin. Code § 340:65-11-3

Current through Vol. 42, No. 3, October 15, 2024

Section 340:65-11-3 - Voter registration services

(a)Voter registration offer. Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) Adult and Family Services (AFS) staff is federally mandated to offer voter registration services to applicants and recipients for qualifying events included in (1) through (3) of this subsection. Qualifying events include when persons:

(1) apply for AFS benefits, such as Child Care Subsidy, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, SoonerCare (Medicaid), State Supplemental Payment, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families;

(2) complete a mid-certification benefit renewal, annual benefit renewal, or SNAP certification renewal; or

(3) report an address or name change.

(b)Voter registration forms. Voter registration forms include Form 08MP007E, Voter Registration Statement, and the Oklahoma State Election Board's, Oklahoma Voter Registration Application.

(1) The applicant, recipient, or the worker records the applicant's or recipient's decision to apply or decline to register to vote.

(2) When the applicant or recipient wants to apply to register to vote or does not want to answer the question: "If you are not registered to vote where you live now, would you like to apply to register to vote here today?" on Form 08MP007E, Voter Registration Statement, AFS staff gives or mails the Oklahoma Voter Registration Application to the applicant or recipient.

(3) When the applicant or recipient declines to apply to register to vote in writing, AFS staff does not give or mail an Oklahoma Voter Registration Application to the applicant or recipient.

(c)Assistance completing the Oklahoma Voter Registration Application. AFS staff offers the same degree of assistance to applicants and recipients completing the Oklahoma Voter Registration Application as staff provides when completing an AFS application and renewal.

(d)Confidentiality. AFS staff keeps the applicant's or recipient's decision to register or not to register to vote and all voter registration materials confidential.

(e)Prohibitions. AFS staff must not:

(1) seek to influence an applicant's or recipient's political preference or party registration;

(2) display political preference or party allegiance;

(3) make statements or take action that has the purpose or effect of discouraging the applicant or recipient from registering to vote; or

(4) make statements or take action that has the purpose or effect of leading the applicant or recipient to believe that a decision to apply to register or a decision not to register to vote has any bearing on service or benefit availability.

(f)Record retention. AFS staff images and files a completed Form 08MP007E in the applicant's or recipient's case record. Completed Form 08MP007Es are retained until the case record is destroyed, per Oklahoma Administrative Code 340:65-1-5.

(g)Training. AFS staff are required to view voter registration training within 30 calendar days of their enter on duty date and annually thereafter.

(h)Voter registration site coordinators. Each county director and field manager is responsible for assigning voter registration site coordinators for the counties they manage. Site coordinator duties include:

(1) maintaining a sufficient supply of Oklahoma Voter Registration Application forms;

(2) compiling completed and partially completed Oklahoma Voter Registration Application forms daily and mailing them to the Oklahoma State Election Board at the close of each business week in the preaddressed, prepaid, postage envelopes the Oklahoma State Election Board provides;

(3) maintaining a weekly count of Oklahoma Voter Registration Application forms mailed to the Oklahoma State Election Board and sending a monthly total to the AFS regional office.

(4) being the contact person for applicants, recipients, the public, or staff inquiries regarding the voter registration process for the counties they serve;

(5) maintaining all voter registration posters as required;

(6) monitoring staff compliance with standard voter registration procedures included in this Section; and

(7) monitoring the staff's completion of annual voter registration training.

(i)Data collection. OKDHS produces a statewide monthly report regarding voter registration activity based on weekly data collection.

Okla. Admin. Code § 340:65-11-3

Added at 30 Ok Reg 694, eff 6-1-13

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 32, Issue 24, September 1, 2015, eff. 9/15/2015

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 39, Issue 24, September 1, 2022, eff. 9/15/2022