Iowa Administrative Code
Agency 721 - Secretary of State
Division II - Elections
Chapter 28 - Voter Registration File (I-VOTERS) Management
Rule 721-28.3 - Duplicate and Multiple Voter Registration Record Deletion Process

(1) The state registrar shall provide a search function within the I-Voters software to search for likely duplicate or multiple voter registration records. County registrars shall have the capability to activate this function.

(2) During each calendar quarter, the county registrar shall activate the search function described in subrule 28.3(1) and review the list of likely duplicate or multiple voter registration records. The county registrar shall resolve duplicate or multiple records for the same voter. No voter shall have more than one voter record. The voter record associated with the most recent registration or other voter-initiated activity shall be considered the voter's current record. The voter shall be registered in the county of current record, and the voter record in any other county shall be merged with the record in the current county. Individual voter history and other voter data shall be transferred to the voter's record in the current county of registration.

(3) The state registrar shall periodically request information from the electronic information registration center regarding the existence of duplicate registrations. Within 15 days of a county registrar's receipt of notification from the state registrar of the existence of a duplicate or multiple record, the county registrar shall follow the process outlined in subrule 28.3(2).

(4) On an ongoing basis, the state registrar shall request reports from the electronic information registration center for the purpose of engaging in interstate checking of voter registration records with other participating states. The purpose of these interstate checks is to identify duplicate or multiple voter registration records. A report based on information provided by the electronic information registration center shall be timely provided to each county registrar.

(5) Within 15 days of the receipt of a report produced by the state registrar in accordance with subrule 28.3(4), the county registrar shall review the list of likely duplicate or multiple voter registration records and determine the accuracy of the search results. If the voter is found to be registered to vote in another state more recently than the voter's last voter-initiated activity in Iowa, the commissioner shall make the voter's status "inactive" and the voter shall be mailed a forwardable National Voter Registration Act-compliant confirmation notice. The notice shall contain a statement in substantially the following form:

Information received by this office indicates that you are no longer a resident at the address printed on the reverse side of this card. If this information is not correct, and you still live at that address, please complete and mail the attached postage-paid card at least 15 days before any election at which you wish to vote. If the information is correct and you have moved outside the state of Iowa, you may check the box below requesting cancellation of your Iowa voter registration to ensure you are not registered to vote in more than one state. If you have moved within the state of Iowa, please contact the county auditor in your new location for assistance in updating your voter registration or visit sos.iowa.gov/register for more information. If you do not return the card and you do not vote in an election in [name of county] County, Iowa, on or before (date of second general election following the date of the notice), your name will be removed from the list of voters in that county.

(6) County registrars shall cooperate with each other to ensure that voter records are properly merged into the current county file.