Bill Would Place Restrictions on Voter Registration Efforts, Impose Penalties for Deficient Forms

Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s office is behind a new bill that would require groups leading voter registration efforts to undergo training and potentially face fines for submitting too many incomplete forms, the Tennessean reports. The proposal also would assess a civil penalty against groups that turn in more than 100 deficient voter registration applications. This week, HB 1079 and SB 971 are set to be heard in legislative committees in their respective chambers. The measure is being met with criticism from groups who organize voter registration drives. They say that it discourages groups from being involved in the registration process.