22-26-102. Registration offenses.

(a) Registration offenses consist of performing any of the following acts in connection with or related to the election process or an election:

(i) Signing or offering to sign an application to register when not a qualified elector or to register under a false name or residence address;

(ii) Soliciting, procuring, aiding, abetting, inducing or attempting to solicit, procure, aid, abet or induce a person to register under the name of any other person, or a false name, or to register when not a qualified elector;

(iii) Destroying or altering a registration record when not authorized by law;

(iv) False swearing after being challenged.

(b) Unless otherwise provided in subsection (c) of this section, registration offenses are misdemeanor offenses punishable by a fine of not more than two hundred dollars ($200.00).

(c) Registration offenses committed with the intent to deceive a registration official are high misdemeanor offenses punishable by not more than one (1) year imprisonment, a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00), or both.

(d) Second or subsequent offenses under subsection (c) of this section are felony offenses punishable by not more than five (5) years imprisonment, a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00), or both.

(e) The county sheriff shall investigate registration offenses at the request of a county clerk who has reasonable cause to believe that a person has committed a registration offense. After an investigation and a finding that the allegation has merit, the county sheriff shall refer the matter to the district attorney for prosecution in the appropriate courts of this state.