500 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

500.1 No person shall be registered to vote in the District of Columbia unless the following occurs:- (a) He or she meets the qualifications as a qualified elector as defined by D.C. Code § 1-1001.02(2) (2006 Repl.); and

- (b) He or she executes a voter registration application by signature or mark (unless prevented by disability) on a form approved by the Board or by the Election Assistance Commission attesting that he or she meets the requirements as a qualified elector.500.2 For purposes of this section, the term 'qualified elector' means a person who:- (a) Is at least seventeen (17) years of age and will be eighteen (18) on or before the next general election;

- (b) Is a citizen of the United States;

- (c) Is not incarcerated for a crime that is a felony in the District;

- (d) Has maintained a residence in the District for at least thirty (30) days preceding the next election and does not claim voting residence or the right to vote in any state or territory; and

- (e) Has not been adjudged legally incompetent to vote by a court of competent jurisdiction.500.3 An applicant shall provide the following information on a voter registration application:- (a) Applicant's complete name;

- (b) Applicant's current residence address, which address is the applicant's fixed residence address in the District;

- (c) Applicant's date of birth;

- (d) Applicant's original signature; and

- (e) Applicant's driver's license number in the case of an applicant who has been issued a current and valid driver's license, or the last 4 digits of the applicant's social security number in the case of an applicant who has not. If an applicant for voter registration has not been issued a current and valid drivers license or a social security number, the Board shall assign the

applicant’s unique identifier which shall serve to identify the applicant for voter registration purposes.

500.4 A person who is otherwise qualified to vote may pre-register on or after his or her sixteenth (16th) birthday and may vote in any election occurring on or after his or her seventeenth (17th) birthday, provided that the person is at least eighteen years of age on or before the next general election.500.5 Unless otherwise specified in §§ 509 - 513, a voter registration application, or a notice of change of name, address, or party, is considered to be received by the Board upon acknowledgement of receipt by the Board's date-stamp.500.6 An applicant designating a mailing address on a voter registration application for official communications shall submit a signed statement specifying that the registration address indicated on a voter registration application constitutes the voter's fixed residence in the District.500.7 The information provided to the Board by the voter, such as that voter's fixed residence, shall be sufficiently precise to enable the Board to assign to the voter, the appropriate Ward, Precinct, and Advisory Neighborhood Commission Single-Member District.500.8 Any applicant who provides on a voter registration application a registration address to which mail cannot be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service shall additionally provide to the Board a designated mailing address, to facilitate the administrative communication required by law.500.9 If an applicant for voter registration fails to properly complete a voter registration application, the Board's registrar shall make reasonable attempts to notify the applicant of the failure and provide the applicant with an opportunity to complete the form in a timely manner to allow for the completion of the registration application prior to the next election.500.10 Any applicant utilizing these procedures to fraudulently attempt to register shall be subject to the same criminal sanctions pursuant to D.C. Code § 1-1001.14 (a) (2006 Repl.).500.11 The terms 'registered qualified elector,' 'qualified registered elector,' and 'duly registered voter' mean a registered voter who resides at the address listed on the Board's records.500.12 An elector may vote in the primary election of a political party if he or she:- (a) Is a duly registered voter whose voter registration application indicates an affiliation with the party holding the primary election; and

(b) Has not changed his or her party affiliation during the thirty (30) days preceding a primary election.

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 43 D.C. Reg. 1078-80 (March 1, 1996); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 48 D.C. Reg. 11722 (December 28, 2001); as amended at 49 D.C. Reg. 2737 (March 22, 2002); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 56 D.C. Reg. 4738, 4739 (June 19, 2009); and as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 57 D.C. Reg. 3267 (April 16, 2010).