(a) In each municipality the registrars, between January first and May first, annually, shall cause either (1) a complete house to house canvass to be made in person of each residence on each street, avenue or road within such municipality, (2) a complete canvass to be made by mail of each residence located on each street, avenue or road within such municipality, provided, upon agreement of both registrars, the National Change of Address System of the United States Postal Service may be used instead of such mailing, (3) a complete canvass to be made by telephone of each residence located on each street, avenue or road within such municipality, or (4) a complete canvass of each residence within such municipality by any combination of such methods, for the purpose of ascertaining the name of any elector formerly residing on such street, avenue or road who has removed therefrom; provided in the odd-numbered years, no canvass need be conducted by the registrars in a town which holds its regular municipal election on the first Monday of May in odd-numbered years. The Secretary of the State shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 setting forth the procedure to be followed in conducting any such canvass by either mail or telephone.

(b) No elector's name shall be removed from the registry list, pursuant to section 9-35, unless (1) the elector confirms in writing that the elector has moved out of the municipality, or (2) the elector has been sent, by forwardable mail, a notice and a postage prepaid preaddressed return card in accordance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, P.L. 103-31, as amended from time to time, four years prior to removal from the registry list and such elector has failed to respond and has not restored the elector's name to the active registry list under section 9-42 or voted in an election or primary in the municipality during the period beginning on the date of the notice and ending four years later. If a registrar or a registrar's designee conducts a telephone canvass, a telephone call by any such person shall constitute an attempt to contact the elector only if the elector's household has a published telephone number and the telephone is in operating order. If a registrar, or a registrar's designee, during a telephone canvass contacts a telecommunication device for the deaf in an elector's household, such call shall not constitute an attempt to contact the elector unless the registrar, or the registrar's designee, uses a similar device or uses a message relay center. No elector's name shall be removed from the active registry list pursuant to said section 9-35 as a result of information obtained during a telephone canvass, unless the registrar believes such information is reliable and sufficient to enable the registrar to determine if the elector is entitled to remain on the list under the provisions of this chapter.

(c) During any such canvass, a canvasser may distribute nonpartisan literature, prescribed by the Secretary of the State, which describes opportunities for voter registration. No Social Security number obtained by the registrars during the canvass prior to January 1, 2000, may be disclosed to the public or to any governmental agency. Each municipality shall provide its registrars of voters with funds sufficient to conduct the annual canvass in accordance with the requirements of this section. Not later than the thirtieth day following each regular election held in a municipality, the registrars of the municipality shall file with the Secretary of the State a certificate that the canvass was conducted prior to the election in accordance with the requirements of this section. The certificate shall be on a form prescribed by the Secretary of the State, shall specify the method or methods by which, and the date or dates on which, the canvass was conducted, and shall be signed under penalty of false statement by all registrars of voters of the municipality.

(1949 Rev. S. 1001; 1953, S. 534d; 1967, P.A. 55; 831, S. 7; 1969, P.A. 76; P.A. 75-7, S. 1, 2; P.A. 80-379, S. 1, 3; P.A. 82-426, S. 2, 14; P.A. 83-475, S. 5, 43; P.A. 87-382, S. 4, 55; P.A. 88-37, S. 1; 88-193; P.A. 90-156, S. 4, 11; P.A. 93-384, S. 8, 28; P.A. 94-121, S. 22, 33; P.A. 99-268, S. 43, 46; P.A. 00-66, S. 17; 00-169, S. 22.)

History: 1967 acts deleted application limited to municipalities having population of more than 5,000 and in later act provided for P.A. 55 to take effect with respect to elections held on or after January 1, 1968; 1969 act added requirement that the canvass be made house to house and in person; P.A. 75-7 further provided that canvasser be permitted to distribute nonpartisan literature prescribed by the secretary of the state on opportunities for voter registration; P.A. 80-379 provided for canvass by mail as an alternative, under regulations to be adopted by the secretary of the state, effective January 1, 1981; P.A. 82-426 amended section to allow canvass by combination of mail and personal contact in new Subdiv. (3); P.A. 83-475 established earlier date for conducting canvass, required municipalities to provide registrars with sufficient funds to conduct canvass and required registrars to certify that canvass has been conducted; P.A. 87-382 substituted “one hundred eighty days” for “six months” and “the thirtieth day” for “one month”; P.A. 88-37 added a new Subdiv. (3) authorizing a telephone canvass, renumbered the remaining subdivision and added the provision concerning canvass requirements prior to removal of a name from the registry list; P.A. 88-193 amended the section by making technical changes and added the provision re deaf electors; P.A. 90-156 added Subpara. (B), allowing elector's name to be removed from registry list if registrar receives signed notice of canvass card, indicating that elector has moved out of municipality; P.A. 93-384 amended Subdiv. (2) to authorize registrars to use National Change of Address System instead of mailing, included said system as one of the two methods of contacting an elector required before his name may be removed from list and added provisions re request for elector to furnish his Social Security number, effective January 1, 1994; P.A. 94-121 substituted “between January first and May first, annually” for “within the period of one hundred eighty days before the Tuesday of the fifth week before each regular election to be held in such municipality”, substituted “in the odd-numbered years, no canvass need be conducted by the registrars in a town which holds its regular municipal election on the first Monday of May in odd-numbered years” for “not more than one such canvass need be made in any municipality in any period of twelve consecutive months”, and substantially revised conditions for removing elector's name from registry list, effective January 1, 1995; P.A. 99-268 repealed requirement that registrars, during the canvass, request elector to provide Social Security number and extended prohibition on disclosure of Social Security numbers obtained during canvass to the public or to any governmental agency, effective January 1, 2000; P.A. 00-66 divided section into Subsecs. and made technical changes; P.A. 00-169 revised effective date of P.A. 99-268 but without affecting this section.

Cited. 28 CS 362.