Bill calls for check of noncitizen driver cards against voter rolls

CARSON CITY — An Assembly committee Tuesday considered a bill setting up procedures to check whether noncitizens who obtain Nevada driver authorization cards show up on voter registration rolls.

Assembly Bill 459 as originally proposed would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to forward information on driver authorization card holders who did not provide proof of citizenship to the secretary of state and county election officials, who would then determine if the person is registered to vote.

“We’re just trying to make sure that those who do vote are citizens of the United States,” said Assemblyman Lynn Stewart, who presented the bill.

Daniel Stewart, a policy adviser to the Assembly Republican caucus, told the Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections that the bill would allow the secretary of state to check voter rolls to see if any noncitizens are registered.

“We’re not asking the secretary of state to go arrest anybody,” he said. “It’s simply a check.”

People would be asked to supply documents verifying citizenship if information is lacking, he said, and be removed from voter rolls if there is no reply.

Daniel Stewart said he doesn’t have specific evidence that noncitizens are voting, but added that noncitizens have shown up as potential jurors, who are also required to be U.S. citizens.

“I do believe there are noncitizens registered,” he said.

The 2013 Legislature passed a law allowing noncitizens to obtain driver authorization cards. The goal was to make sure noncitizens passed a driver test and obtained auto insurance.

Backers of the bill expressed concern that some noncitizens might be given a voter registration application with the packet of materials given when applying for a driver’s license.

Daniel Stewart said people who apply for authorization cards with documents showing they are not U.S. citizens are automatically flagged in the system, so if anyone tried to register under that card number there would be no match.

But he said it’s possible others might fill out the voter registration application out of confusion, by mistake or under peer pressure.

“There hasn’t been a floodgate of people registering since this law was passed,” Stewart said.

There was no overwhelming opposition to the bill, but some groups raised privacy concerns. The driver authorization law makes any information provided by a noncitizen confidential.

Vanessa Spinazola with the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada suggested that instead of the secretary of state checking registrations, voter rolls be forwarded to the DMV to check.

No action was taken by the committee.

Contact Sandra Chereb at schereb@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901. Find her on Twitter: @SandraChereb.