Text: SF00282 Text: SF00284 Text: SF00200 - SF00299 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 53.8, subsection 1, Code 2001, is 1 2 amended to read as follows: 1 3 1. Upon receipt of an application for an absentee ballot 1 4 and immediately after the absentee ballots are printed, the 1 5 commissioner shall mail an absentee ballot to the applicant 1 6 within twenty-four hours, except as otherwise provided in 1 7 subsection 3. The absentee ballot shall be enclosed in an 1 8 unsealed ballot envelope bearing a serial number and 1 9 affidavit.The absentee ballot and unsealed envelope shall be1 10enclosed in or with a carrier envelope which bears the same1 11serial number as the unsealed envelope.The absentee ballot,1 12 and unsealed ballot envelope, and carrier envelopeshall be 1 13 enclosed in athirdsecond envelope to be sent to the 1 14 registered voter. 1 15 Sec. 2. Section 53.12, Code 2001, is amended to read as 1 16 follows: 1 17 53.12 DUTY OF COMMISSIONER. 1 18 The commissioner shall enclose the absentee ballot inan1 19unsealeda ballot envelope, to be furnished by the 1 20 commissioner, which envelope shall bear upon its face the 1 21 words "county commissioner of elections", the address of the 1 22 commissioner's office, and the same serial number appearing on 1 23 theunsealedballot envelope shall be affixed to the 1 24 application. 1 25 Sec. 3. Section 53.13, Code 2001, is amended to read as 1 26 follows: 1 27 53.13 VOTER'S AFFIDAVIT ON ENVELOPE. 1 28 On theunsealedballot envelope shall be printed an 1 29 affidavit form prescribed by the state commissioner of 1 30 elections. 1 31 Sec. 4. Section 53.17, Code 2001, is amended to read as 1 32 follows: 1 33 53.17 MAILING OR DELIVERING BALLOT. 1 34 The sealed ballot envelope containing the absentee ballot 1 35 shall beenclosed in a carrier envelope which shall be2 1securely sealed. The sealed carrier envelope shall be2 2 returned to the commissioner by one of the following methods: 2 3 1. The sealedcarrierballot envelope may be delivered by 2 4 the registered voter or the voter's designee to the 2 5 commissioner's office no later than the time the polls are 2 6 closed on election day. 2 7 2. The sealedcarrierballot envelope may be mailed to the 2 8 commissioner. Thecarrierballot envelope shall indicate that 2 9 greater postage than ordinary first class mail may be 2 10 required. The commissioner shall pay any insufficient postage 2 11 due on acarrierballot envelope bearing ordinary first class 2 12 postage and accept the ballot. 2 13 In order for the ballot to be counted, thecarrierballot 2 14 envelope must be received in the commissioner's office before 2 15 the polls close on election day or be clearly postmarked by an 2 16 officially authorized postal service not later than the day 2 17 before the election and received by the commissioner not later 2 18 than noon on the Monday following the election. 2 19 If the law authorizing the election specifies that the 2 20 supervisors canvass the votes earlier than the Monday 2 21 following the election, absentee ballots returned through the 2 22 mail must be received not later than the time established for 2 23 the canvass by the board of supervisors for that election. 2 24 The commissioner shall contact the post office serving the 2 25 commissioner's office at the latest practicable hour before 2 26 the canvass by the board of supervisors for that election, and 2 27 shall arrange for absentee ballots received in that post 2 28 office but not yet delivered to the commissioner's office to 2 29 be brought to the commissioner's office before the canvass for 2 30 that election by the board of supervisors. 2 31 Sec. 5. Section 53.18, Code 2001, is amended to read as 2 32 follows: 2 33 53.18 MANNER OF PRESERVING BALLOT AND APPLICATION. 2 34 Upon receipt of the absentee ballot, the commissioner shall 2 35 at once record the number appearing on the application and 3 1return carrierballot envelope and time of receipt of such 3 2 ballot and attach the elector's application to the unopened 3 3 envelope. Absentee ballots shall be stored in a secure place 3 4 until they are delivered to the absentee and special voters. 3 5 Sec. 6. Section 53.19, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2001, 3 6 is amended to read as follows: 3 7 The commissioner shall maintain a list of the absentee 3 8 ballots provided to registered voters, the serial number 3 9 appearing on theunsealedballot envelope, the date the 3 10 application for the absentee ballot was received, and the date 3 11 the absentee ballot was sent to the registered voter 3 12 requesting the absentee ballot. 3 13 Sec. 7. Section 53.21, Code 2001, is amended to read as 3 14 follows: 3 15 53.21 REPLACEMENT OF LOST OR SPOILED ABSENTEE BALLOTS. 3 16 A voter who has requested an absentee ballot may obtain a 3 17 replacement ballot if the voter declares that the original 3 18 ballot was lost or did not arrive. The commissioner upon 3 19 receipt of a written or oral request for a replacement ballot 3 20 shall provide a duplicate ballot. The same serial number that 3 21 was assigned to the records of the original absentee ballot 3 22 request shall be used on theenvelopesenvelope and records of 3 23 the replacement ballot. 3 24 The commissioner shall include with the replacement ballot 3 25 two copies of a statement in substantially the following form: 3 26 The absentee ballot which I requested on ........(date) has 3 27 been lost or was never received. If I find this absentee bal- 3 28 lot I will return it, unvoted, to the commissioner. 3 29 .................... 3 30 (Signature of voter) 3 31 .................... 3 32 (Date) 3 33 The voter shall enclose one copy of the above statement in 3 34 thereturn carrier envelope with theballot envelope and re- 3 35 tain a copy for the voter's records. 4 1 A voter who spoils an absentee ballot may return it to the 4 2 commissioner. The outside of thereturnballot envelope shall 4 3 be marked "SPOILED BALLOT". The commissioner shall replace 4 4 the ballot in the manner provided in this section for lost 4 5 ballots. 4 6 An absentee ballot returned to the commissioner without a 4 7 designation that the ballot was spoiled shall not be replaced. 4 8 Sec. 8. Section 53.22, subsection 5, unnumbered paragraph 4 9 2, Code 2001, is amended to read as follows: 4 10 Absentee ballots voted under this subsection shall be 4 11 delivered to the commissioner no later than the time the polls 4 12 are closed on election day. If the ballot is returned by mail 4 13 thecarrierballot envelope must be received by the time the 4 14 polls close, or clearly postmarked by an officially authorized 4 15 postal service not later than the day before the election and 4 16 received by the commissioner no later than the time 4 17 established for the canvass by the board of supervisors for 4 18 that election. 4 19 Sec. 9. Section 53.23, subsection 3, Code 2001, is amended 4 20 to read as follows: 4 21 3. The commissioner shall set the convening time for the 4 22 board, allowing a reasonable amount of time to complete 4 23 counting all absentee ballots by ten p.m. on election day. 4 24 The commissioner may direct the board to meet on the day 4 25 before the election solely for the purpose of reviewing the 4 26 absentee voters' affidavits appearing on the sealed ballot 4 27 envelopes. If, if in the commissioner's judgment this 4 28 procedure is necessary due to the number of absentee ballots 4 29 received, the members of the board may open the sealed ballot4 30envelopes and remove the secrecy envelope containing the4 31ballot, but under. Under no circumstances shall asecrecy4 32 ballot envelope be opened before the board convenes on 4 33 election day. If the affidavits on the ballot envelopes are 4 34openedreviewed before election day, two observers, one 4 35 appointed by each of the two political parties referred to in 5 1 section 49.13, subsection 2, shall witness the proceedings. 5 2If the board finds any ballot not enclosed in a secrecy5 3envelope, the two special precinct election officials, one5 4from each of the two political parties referred to in section5 549.13, subsection 2, shall place the ballot in a secrecy5 6envelope. No one shall examine the ballot. Each of the5 7special precinct election officials shall sign the secrecy5 8envelope.5 9 Sec. 10. Section 53.23, subsection 5, Code 2001, is 5 10 amended to read as follows: 5 11 5. The special precinct election board shall preserve the 5 12 secrecy of all absentee and special ballots. After the 5 13 affidavits on the envelopes have been reviewed and the 5 14 qualifications of the persons casting the ballots have been 5 15 determined, those that have been accepted for counting shall 5 16 be opened. The ballots shall be removed from theaffidavit5 17 ballot envelopes without being unfolded or examined, and then 5 18 shall be thoroughly intermingled, after which they shall be 5 19 unfolded and tabulated. If secrecy folders or envelopes are 5 20 used with special paper ballots, the ballots shall be removed 5 21 from the secrecy folders after the ballots have been 5 22 intermingled. 5 23 Sec. 11. Section 468.511, subsection 1, Code 2001, is 5 24 amended to read as follows: 5 25 1. When a petition asking for the right to vote in 5 26 proportion to assessment of benefits at all elections for any 5 27 purpose thereafter to be held within said district, signed by 5 28 a majority of the landowners owning land within said district 5 29 assessed for benefits, is filed with the board of trustees, 5 30 then, in all elections of trustees thereafter held within said 5 31 district, any person whose land is assessed for benefits 5 32 without regard to age, sex, or condition shall be entitled to 5 33 one vote for each ten dollars or fraction thereof of the 5 34 original assessment under the current classification against 5 35 the land actually owned by the person in said district at the 6 1 time of the election, but in order to have such ballot counted 6 2 for more than one vote the voter shall write the voter's name 6 3 upon the ballot. The vote of any landowner of the district 6 4 may be cast by absent voters ballot as provided in chapter 53 6 5 except that the form of the applications for ballots, the 6 6 voters' affidavits on the envelopes, and the endorsement of 6 7 thecarrierouter envelope for preserving the ballot shall be 6 8 substantially in the form provided in subsections 2, 3 and 4, 6 9 below. Application blanks, envelopes and ballots shall be 6 10 provided by and submitted to the office of the county auditor 6 11 in which the election is held. The cost of such blanks, 6 12 envelopes, ballots and postage shall be paid by the district. 6 13 For the purpose of this subchapter all landowners of the 6 14 district shall be considered qualified voters, regardless of 6 15 their place of residence. 6 16 Sec. 12. Section 468.511, subsection 4, Code 2001, is 6 17 amended to read as follows: 6 18 4. For the purposes of this subchapter, upon receipt of 6 19 the ballot, the auditor shall at once enclose the same, 6 20 unopened, together with the application made by the voter ina6 21large carrieran outer envelope, securely seal the same, and 6 22 endorse thereon over the auditor's official signature, the 6 23 following: 6 24 a. Name of the district in which the voter is a landowner. 6 25 b. Date of the election for which the ballot is cast. 6 26 c. Location of the polling place at which the ballot would 6 27 be legally and properly cast if voted in person. 6 28 d. Names of the judges of the election of that polling 6 29 place, and the statement that this envelope contains an absent 6 30 voters ballot and must be opened only at the polls on election 6 31 day while said polls are open. 6 32 EXPLANATION 6 33 This bill reduces the number of envelopes used in absentee 6 34 voting from two to one. The single envelope will bear the 6 35 voter affidavit and will contain the absentee ballot. In 7 1 addition, all references in the Code to the secrecy envelope 7 2 and the carrier envelope have been eliminated and replaced 7 3 with a reference to the ballot envelope. In the Code section 7 4 determining votes by assessment for levee and drainage 7 5 districts, the term "carrier envelope" has been changed to 7 6 "outer envelope" to reduce confusion. 7 7 LSB 2553SS 79 7 8 ta/pj/5
Text: SF00282 Text: SF00284 Text: SF00200 - SF00299 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
© 2001 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
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