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Text: HF00352                           Text: HF00354
Text: HF00300 - HF00399                 Text: HF Index
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House File 353

Partial Bill History

Bill Text

PAG LIN
  1  1    Section 1.  Section 53.18, Code 1997, is amended to read as
  1  2 follows:
  1  3    53.18  MANNER OF PRESERVING BALLOT AND APPLICATION.
  1  4    Upon receipt of the absentee ballot, the commissioner shall
  1  5 at once record the number appearing on the application and
  1  6 return carrier envelope and time of receipt of such ballot
  1  7 and.  The commissioner shall open the sealed carrier envelope
  1  8 and remove the affidavit envelope.  The commissioner shall
  1  9 attach the elector's application to the unopened affidavit
  1 10 envelope.  Absentee ballots shall be stored in a secure place
  1 11 until they are delivered to the absentee and special voters.
  1 12    Sec. 2.  Section 53.23, subsections 3, 4, and 6, Code 1997,
  1 13 are amended to read as follows:
  1 14    3.  The commissioner shall set the convening time for the
  1 15 board, allowing a reasonable amount of time to complete
  1 16 counting all absentee ballots by ten p.m. on election day.
  1 17 The convening time for the board shall be no earlier than one
  1 18 day before the election.  The commissioner may direct the
  1 19 board to meet on the day prior to the election day the board
  1 20 is set to convene solely for the purpose of reviewing the
  1 21 absentee voters' affidavits appearing on the sealed ballot
  1 22 envelopes if in the commissioner's judgment this procedure is
  1 23 necessary due to the number of absentee ballots received, but
  1 24 under no circumstances shall a sealed ballot an envelope
  1 25 containing a ballot be opened before the board convenes on
  1 26 election day to count the absentee ballots.
  1 27    4.  The room where members of the special precinct election
  1 28 board are engaged in counting absentee ballots during the
  1 29 hours the polls are open shall be policed so as to prevent any
  1 30 person other than those whose presence is authorized by this
  1 31 subsection from obtaining information about the progress of
  1 32 the count.  The only persons who may be admitted to that room
  1 33 are the members of the board, one challenger representing each
  1 34 political party, one observer representing any nonparty
  1 35 political organization or any candidate nominated by petition
  2  1 pursuant to chapter 45 or any other nonpartisan candidate in a
  2  2 city or school election appearing on the ballot of the
  2  3 election in progress, one observer representing persons
  2  4 supporting a public measure appearing on the ballot and one
  2  5 observer representing persons opposed to such measure, and the
  2  6 commissioner or the commissioner's designee.  It shall be
  2  7 unlawful for any of these persons to communicate or attempt to
  2  8 communicate, directly or indirectly, information regarding the
  2  9 progress of the count at any time before the polls are closed.
  2 10    6.  The special precinct election board shall not release
  2 11 the results of its tabulation on election day until all of the
  2 12 ballots it is required to count on as of that day have been
  2 13 counted, nor release the tabulation of challenged ballots
  2 14 accepted and counted under chapter 50 until that count has
  2 15 been completed.  
  2 16                           EXPLANATION
  2 17    This bill allows the county commissioner of elections to
  2 18 open, upon receipt, the sealed carrier envelope which carries
  2 19 the affidavit envelope containing an absentee ballot.
  2 20    The bill also allows canvassing of absentee ballots to
  2 21 begin the day before the election.  Currently, the canvassing
  2 22 of absentee ballots must begin on election day.  
  2 23 LSB 2060HH 77
  2 24 sc/jw/5
     
Text: HF00352                           Text: HF00354
Text: HF00300 - HF00399                 Text: HF Index
Bills and Amendments: General Index     Bill History: General Index
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