42 U.S.C. § 1973GG

Section 1973gg · Findings and purposes

This is § 2 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (Motor Voter Act)

Amended 1 time on record

(a) Findings

The Congress finds that—

(1) the right of citizens of the United States to vote is a fundamental right;

(2) it is the duty of the Federal, State, and local governments to promote the exercise of that right; and

(3) discriminatory and unfair registration laws and procedures can have a direct and damaging effect on voter participation in elections for Federal office and disproportionately harm voter participation by various groups, including racial minorities.

(b) Purposes

The purposes of this subchapter are—

(1) to establish procedures that will increase the number of eligible citizens who register to vote in elections for Federal office;

(2) to make it possible for Federal, State, and local governments to implement this subchapter in a manner that enhances the participation of eligible citizens as voters in elections for Federal office;

(3) to protect the integrity of the electoral process; and

(4) to ensure that accurate and current voter registration rolls are maintained.

Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel

References in Text

This subchapter, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 103–31, May 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 77, is classified principally to this subchapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note below and Tables.

Effective Date

Section 13 of Pub. L. 103–31 provided that: “This Act [see Short Title note below] shall take effect—

“(1) with respect to a State that on the date of enactment of this Act [May 20, 1993] has a provision in the constitution of the State that would preclude compliance with this Act unless the State maintained separate Federal and State official lists of eligible voters, on the later of—

“(A) January 1, 1996; or

“(B) the date that is 120 days after the date by which, under the constitution of the State as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act, it would be legally possible to adopt and place into effect any amendments to the constitution of the State that are necessary to permit such compliance with this Act without requiring a special election; and

“(2) with respect to any State not described in paragraph (1), on January 1, 1995.”

Short Title

Section 1 of Pub. L. 103–31 provided that: “This Act [enacting this subchapter and section 3629 of Title 39, Postal Service, and amending sections 2401 and 3627 of Title 39] may be cited as the ‘National Voter Registration Act of 1993’.”