Text: HF02230 Text: HF02232 Text: HF02200 - HF02299 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 48A.5, subsection 6, Code 1997, is 1 2 amended to read as follows: 1 3 6. The deadlines for voter registration shall not apply to 1 4 a person who has been discharged from military service within 1 5thirtysixty days preceding the date of an election. The 1 6 person shall present to the precinct election official a copy 1 7 of the person's discharge papers. The person shall complete a 1 8 voter registration form and give it to the official before 1 9 being permitted to vote. 1 10 Sec. 2. Section 48A.8, Code 1997, is amended to read as 1 11 follows: 1 12 48A.8 REGISTRATION BY MAIL. 1 13 An eligible elector may register to vote by completing a 1 14 mail registration form. The form may be mailed or delivered 1 15 by the registrant or the registrant's designee to the 1 16 commissioner in the county where the person resides. A 1 17 separate registration form shall be signed by each individual 1 18 registrant. An eligible elector who registers by mail is 1 19 required to vote in person at the polling place at the first 1 20 election following registration in which the voter casts a 1 21 vote. However, this does not apply to mail registration forms 1 22 received from a motor vehicle driver's license station or from 1 23 any voter registration agency, to persons voting pursuant to 1 24 section 53.22, or to persons voting pursuant to section 53.45. 1 25 Sec. 3. Section 48A.9, subsection 1, Code 1997, is amended 1 26 to read as follows: 1 27 1. Registration closes at five p.m.eleventhirty days 1 28 before each electionexcept primary and general elections. 1 29For primary and general elections, registration closes at five1 30p.m. ten days before the election.An eligible elector may 1 31 register during the time registration is closed in the 1 32 elector's precinct but the registration shall not become 1 33 effective until registration opens again in the elector's 1 34 precinct. 1 35 Sec. 4. Section 48A.9, subsection 3, Code 1997, is amended 2 1 to read as follows: 2 2 3. A registration form submitted by mail shall be 2 3 considered on time if it is postmarked no later thanthe2 4fifteenth daythirty-five days before the election, even if it 2 5 is received by the commissioner after the deadline, or if the 2 6 registration form is received by the commissioner no later 2 7 than five p.m. on the last day to register to vote for an 2 8 election, even if it is postmarked after thefifteenththirty- 2 9 fifth day before the election. 2 10 Sec. 5. Section 53.2, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2 11 Supplement 1997, is amended to read as follows: 2 12 Any registered voter, under the circumstances specified in 2 13 section 53.1, may on any day, except election day, and not 2 14 more than seventy days prior to the date of the election, 2 15 apply in person for an absentee ballot at the commissioner's 2 16 office or at any location designated by the commissioner, or 2 17 make written application to the commissioner for an absentee 2 18 ballot. The state commissioner shall prescribe a form for 2 19 absentee ballot applications. However, if a registered voter 2 20 submits an application that includes all of the information 2 21 required in this section, the prescribed form is not required. 2 22 Absentee ballot applications may include instructions to send 2 23 the application directly to the county commissioner of 2 24 elections. However, no absentee ballot application shall be 2 25 preaddressed or printed with instructions to send the 2 26 applications to anyone other than the appropriate 2 27 commissioner. If an eligible elector applies in person for an 2 28 absentee ballot, the commissioner shall provide the elector 2 29 with a voter registration form and shall inform the elector 2 30 that the elector will not be allowed to vote absentee until 2 31 the voter has voted in person at the polling place. 2 32 Sec. 6. Section 53.2, unnumbered paragraph 6, Code 2 33 Supplement 1997, is amended to read as follows: 2 34 If an application for an absentee ballot is received from 2 35 an eligible elector who is not a registered voter the 3 1 commissioner shall send a registration form under section 3 2 48A.8and an absentee ballot to the eligible elector.If the3 3application is received so late that it is unlikely that the3 4registration form can be returned in time to be effective on3 5election day, theThe commissioner shall enclose with the 3 6absentee ballotregistration form a noticeto that effect,3 7 informing the voter of the registration time limits in section 3 8 48A.9 and informing the voter that if the elector registers by 3 9 mail, the elector will not be allowed to vote absentee until 3 10 the voter has voted in person at the polling place. The 3 11 commissioner shall record on the elector's application that 3 12 the elector is not currently registered to vote. If the 3 13 registration form is properly returned by the time provided by 3 14 section 48A.9, the commissioner shall record on the elector's 3 15 application the date of receipt of the registration form and 3 16 enter a notation of the registration on the registration 3 17 records. 3 18 Sec. 7. Section 53.45, subsection 1, Code 1997, is amended 3 19 to read as follows: 3 20 1. As provided in this section, the commissioner shall 3 21 provide special absentee ballots to be used for state general 3 22 elections. A special absentee ballot shall only be provided 3 23 to an eligible elector who completes an application stating 3 24both of the followingthat to the best of the eligible 3 25 elector's belief:3 26a. Thethe eligible elector will be residing or stationed 3 27 or working outside the continental United States. 3 28b. The eligible elector will be unable to vote and return3 29a regular absentee ballot by normal mail delivery within the3 30period provided for regular absentee ballots.3 31 The application for a special absentee ballot shall not be 3 32 filed earlier than ninety days prior to the general election. 3 33 The special absentee ballot shall list the offices and 3 34 measures, if known, scheduled to appear on the general 3 35 election ballot. The eligible elector may use the special 4 1 absentee ballot to write in the name of any eligible candidate 4 2 for each office and may vote on any measure. 4 3 Sec. 8. Section 53.49, Code 1997, is amended to read as 4 4 follows: 4 5 53.49 APPLICABLE TO ARMED FORCES AND OTHER CITIZENS. 4 6 The provisions of this division as to absent voting shall 4 7 apply only to absent voters in the armed forces of the United 4 8 States as defined for the purpose of absentee voting in 4 9 section 53.37. The provisions of sections 53.1 to 53.36,4 10 shall apply to all otherqualifiedvoters not members of the 4 11 armed forces of the United States. 4 12 EXPLANATION 4 13 This bill provides that an elector who registers to vote by 4 14 mail shall not be allowed to vote absentee until the elector 4 15 has voted in person at the polling place at the first election 4 16 held after registration in which the voter chooses to vote. 4 17 This does not apply to mail registrations received from a 4 18 motor vehicle driver's license station, a voter registration 4 19 agency, from confined persons voting absentee, or from persons 4 20 working, stationed, or residing outside of the United States 4 21 at the time of the election. 4 22 The bill changes the voter registration deadline to 30 days 4 23 before all elections. Currently, the deadline is 10 days 4 24 before a general or primary election and 11 days before all 4 25 other elections. A corresponding amendment is made to provide 4 26 that the registration deadline does not apply to military 4 27 personnel discharged within 60 days preceding an election. 4 28 LSB 3580HH 77 4 29 sc/sc/14 4 30
Text: HF02230 Text: HF02232 Text: HF02200 - HF02299 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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