Text: HF00046 Text: HF00048 Text: HF00000 - HF00099 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 49.109, Code 1999, is amended by adding 1 2 the following new unnumbered paragraph: 1 3 NEW UNNUMBERED PARAGRAPH. An employer shall post notice of 1 4 the right to be absent from work to vote pursuant to this 1 5 section and of the process the employee must follow to be 1 6 allowed an absence from work to vote. The notice must be 1 7 posted in a location visible and accessible to employees. The 1 8 notice shall include a statement that no penalty will be 1 9 assessed against the person and no deduction will be made from 1 10 the person's regular salary or wages on account of such 1 11 absence. 1 12 Sec. 2. Section 53.8, subsection 1, Code 1999, is amended 1 13 to read as follows: 1 14 1. Upon receipt of an application for an absentee ballot 1 15 and immediately after the absentee ballots are printed, the 1 16 commissioner shall mail an absentee ballot to the applicant 1 17 within twenty-four hours, except as otherwise provided in 1 18 subsection 3. The ballot shall be mailed to the applicant at 1 19 the address listed on the applicant's voter registration, 1 20 unless the applicant indicates that the applicant is away from 1 21 the county. The absentee ballot shall be enclosed in an 1 22 unsealed envelope bearing a serial number and affidavit. The 1 23 absentee ballot and unsealed envelope shall be enclosed in or 1 24 with a carrier envelope which bears the same serial number as 1 25 the unsealed envelope. The absentee ballot, unsealed 1 26 envelope, and carrier envelope shall be enclosed in a third 1 27 envelope to be sent to the registered voter. 1 28 Sec. 3. Section 53.9, Code 1999, is amended to read as 1 29 follows: 1 30 53.9 PROHIBITED PERSONS. 1 31NoA person required to file reports under chapter 56, and 1 32noa person acting as an actual or implied agent for a person 1 33 required to file reports under chapter 56, shall not receive, 1 34 handle, or deliver absentee ballots on behalf of voters. This 1 35 prohibitiondoes not apply toprecludes such persons from 2 1 being a voter's designee under section 53.17, and precludes an 2 2 unvoted ballot from being sent to such a person under section 2 3 53.2. 2 4 Sec. 4. Section 53.11, unnumbered paragraph 2, Code 1999, 2 5 is amended to read as follows: 2 6 Satellite absentee voting stations shall be established 2 7 throughout the cities and county at the direction of the 2 8 commissioner or upon receipt of a petition signed by not less 2 9 thanone hundredfifty eligible electors requesting that a 2 10 satellite absentee voting station be established at a location 2 11 to be described on the petition. A satellite absentee voting 2 12 station established by petition must be open at leastone day2 13 two days for a minimum of six hours each day. A satellite 2 14 absentee voting stationestablished at the direction of the2 15commissioner or by petition mayshall remain open until five 2 16 p.m. on the day before the election. 2 17 Sec. 5. Section 53.17, subsection 1, Code 1999, is amended 2 18 to read as follows: 2 19 1. The sealed carrier envelope may be delivered by the 2 20 registered voter or the voter's designee to the commissioner's 2 21 office no later than the time the polls are closed on election 2 22 day. The person who delivers a carrier envelope to the 2 23 commissioner's office shall sign a receipt presented by the 2 24 commissioner. The commissioner shall attach the signed 2 25 receipt to the carrier envelope. 2 26 Sec. 6. Section 53.17, subsection 2, unnumbered paragraph 2 27 1, Code 1999, is amended to read as follows: 2 28 The sealed carrier envelope may be mailed to the 2 29 commissioner. The carrier envelope shall indicate that 2 30 greater postage than ordinary first class mail may be required 2 31 and that the commissioner will pay any insufficient postage 2 32 due. The commissioner shall pay any insufficient postage due 2 33 on a carrier envelope bearing ordinary first class postage and 2 34 accept the ballot. 2 35 Sec. 7. Section 53.18, Code 1999, is amended to read as 3 1 follows: 3 2 53.18 MANNER OF PRESERVING BALLOT AND APPLICATION. 3 3 Upon receipt of the absentee ballot, the commissioner shall 3 4 at once record the number appearing on the application and 3 5 return carrier envelope,andthe time of receipt of such 3 6 ballot, and whether the ballot was returned by personal 3 7 delivery by the voter or the voter's designee or by mail. The 3 8 commissioner shall attach the elector's application to the 3 9 unopened envelope. Absentee ballots shall be stored in a 3 10 secure place until they are delivered to the absentee and 3 11 special voters. 3 12 EXPLANATION 3 13 The bill requires an employer to post notice of an 3 14 employee's right to be absent from work to vote if, because of 3 15 the employee's work schedule, the employee does not have three 3 16 consecutive hours away from work in which to vote. 3 17 The bill also requires that an absentee ballot be mailed to 3 18 the person's voter registration address unless the person is 3 19 away from the county. 3 20 The bill prohibits political persons (i.e., political 3 21 candidates, their agents, and political parties) from 3 22 receiving (by mail or in person), handling, or delivering 3 23 absentee ballots, whether voted or unvoted. The bill also 3 24 specifically prohibits political persons from being a voter's 3 25 designee to receive, handle, or deliver the ballot for the 3 26 voter. 3 27 The bill changes from 100 to 50 the number of signatures 3 28 required to establish a satellite absentee voting station. 3 29 The bill also requires that satellite absentee voting stations 3 30 be open for at least two days. The stations are to be open 3 31 until 5 p.m. on the day before the election. 3 32 The bill requires persons delivering absentee ballots to 3 33 the election office to sign a receipt that will be attached to 3 34 the absentee ballot carrier envelope and retained by the 3 35 election office. The bill also requires the county auditor to 4 1 record whether a voted absentee ballot was delivered to the 4 2 election office by mail, voter's designee, or voter. 4 3 The bill requires that carrier envelopes for absentee 4 4 ballots contain a statement informing the voter that the 4 5 commissioner will pay any insufficient postage due on a 4 6 carrier envelope bearing ordinary first class postage. 4 7 LSB 1427HH 78 4 8 sc/jw/5
Text: HF00046 Text: HF00048 Text: HF00000 - HF00099 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
© 1999 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
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