House File 2132 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  PAULSEN


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to the tally of absentee votes by precinct.
  2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  3 TLSB 5273YH 82
  4 sc/nh/5

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 49.31, subsection 7, Code 2007, is
  1  2 amended to read as follows:
  1  3    7.  For the purpose of ballot rotation the absentee ballot
  1  4 and special voters precinct may shall not be considered a
  1  5 separate precinct.
  1  6    Sec. 2.  Section 49.57, Code Supplement 2007, is amended by
  1  7 adding the following new subsection:
  1  8    NEW SUBSECTION.  8.  Absentee ballots counted by hand or
  1  9 entered onto voting machines pursuant to section 53.24 shall
  1 10 include the resident precinct number of the absentee voter.
  1 11 If absentee voting is conducted by means of an optical scan
  1 12 voting system, the ballots shall be coded with the resident
  1 13 precinct number of the absentee voter.
  1 14    Sec. 3.  Section 52.33, subsection 1, Code Supplement 2007,
  1 15 is amended to read as follows:
  1 16    1.  In any county in which the board of supervisors has
  1 17 adopted voting by means of an optical scan voting system, the
  1 18 commissioner shall also conduct absentee voting by use of such
  1 19 a system.  In any other county, the commissioner may with
  1 20 approval of the board of supervisors conduct absentee voting
  1 21 by use of an optical scan voting system.  All provisions of
  1 22 chapter 53 shall apply to such absentee voting, so far as
  1 23 applicable.  In counties where absentee voting is conducted by
  1 24 use of an optical scan voting system, the special precinct
  1 25 counting board shall, at the time required by chapter 53,
  1 26 prepare absentee ballots for tabulation in the manner
  1 27 prescribed by this chapter.  In counties where absentee voting
  1 28 is conducted by use of an optical scan voting system, the
  1 29 tabulating device shall be programmed to produce a report
  1 30 showing the resident precinct of the absentee voter.
  1 31    Sec. 4.  Section 53.23, subsection 2, Code Supplement 2007,
  1 32 is amended to read as follows:
  1 33    2.  The board's powers and duties shall be the same as
  1 34 those provided in chapter 50 for precinct election officials
  1 35 in regular precinct polling places.  However, the election
  2  1 board of the special precinct shall receive from the
  2  2 commissioner and count all absentee ballots for all precincts
  2  3 in the county; when two or more political subdivisions in the
  2  4 county hold elections simultaneously the special precinct
  2  5 election board shall count absentee ballots cast in all of the
  2  6 elections so held.  The tally list shall be recorded on forms
  2  7 prescribed by the state commissioner.  The board shall also
  2  8 record a separate tally of the votes for each candidate by
  2  9 resident precinct of the absentee voter.  The separate tally
  2 10 list shall be on a form prescribed by the state commissioner
  2 11 and, upon request, shall be made available for public
  2 12 inspection.
  2 13                           EXPLANATION
  2 14    This bill provides that the absentee ballot and special
  2 15 voters precinct board shall record a separate tally of votes
  2 16 by resident precinct of the absentee voter.  The separate
  2 17 tally shall be available for public inspection upon request.
  2 18 LSB 5273YH 82
  2 19 sc/nh/5