HF 130 (LSB 1439YH (4) 88)

HOUSE FILE 130

BY  HUNTER, STAED, KURTZ, JACOBY, and McCONKEY

A BILL FOR

An Act providing for ongoing absentee voter status.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  53.4  Ongoing absentee voter.
   A registered voter applying for an absentee ballot under section 53.2 may request to receive an absentee ballot for all subsequent elections or for each subsequent general election in which that person is eligible to vote and qualifies under section 53.1. The state commissioner shall provide check boxes on the prescribed form for this purpose. For all subsequent elections or for each subsequent general election, the county commissioner of elections shall automatically mail an absentee ballot to the requesting voter, or automatically deliver an absentee ballot if the requester is a person voting pursuant to section 53.22. A voter’s status as an ongoing absentee voter shall be terminated upon the request of the voter or by the county commissioner if the voter fails to qualify under section 53.1 or if the voter fails to vote in two consecutive general elections.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill allows an absentee voter to receive absentee ballots for all subsequent general elections without having to reapply before each election. A person’s status as an ongoing absentee voter can be terminated by that person or by the county commissioner of elections if the person fails to qualify as an absentee voter or if the person fails to vote in two consecutive general elections.