Text: SF02045 Text: SF02047 Text: SF02000 - SF02099 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 48A.5, subsection 2, paragraph c, Code 1 2 2003, is amended to read as follows: 1 3 c. Be at least eighteen years of age. However, for 1 4 purposes of voting in a school district election, an eligible 1 5 elector shall be at least seventeen years of age. Completed 1 6 registration forms shall be accepted from registrants who are 1 7 at least seventeenand a halfyears of age; however, the. For 1 8 all elections except school district elections, the 1 9 registration shall not be effective until the registrant 1 10 reaches the age of eighteen. 1 11 Sec. 2. Section 48A.5, Code 2003, is amended by adding the 1 12 following new subsection: 1 13 NEW SUBSECTION. 3A. If a person is registering under the 1 14 provisions of section 48A.9A, the person shall be a resident 1 15 of the county in which the election is held for ten days 1 16 immediately preceding the election, subject to the provisions 1 17 of subsection 3 and section 48A.27, subsection 2, paragraph 1 18 "a", subparagraph (3). 1 19 Sec. 3. Section 48A.9, subsection 1, Code 2003, is amended 1 20 to read as follows: 1 21 1. Registration closes at five p.m. eleven days before 1 22 each election except primary and general elections. For 1 23 primary and general elections, registration closes at five 1 24 p.m. ten days before the election. An eligible elector may 1 25 register during the time registration is closed in the 1 26 elector's precinct but the registration shall not become 1 27 effective until registration opens again in the elector's 1 28 precinct unless the elector obtains an affidavit of special 1 29 late registration as provided in section 48A.9A. 1 30 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 48A.9A SPECIAL LATE REGISTRATION. 1 31 1. Notwithstanding the voter registration deadlines in 1 32 section 48A.9, an eligible elector may register to vote on any 1 33 day after registration has closed in the elector's precinct, 1 34 including on election day. 1 35 2. The commissioner shall record the information required 2 1 of an eligible elector on the election register for the county 2 2 precinct of the eligible elector or shall provide a separate 2 3 listing of the information required of an eligible elector to 2 4 the county precinct of the eligible elector who registers in 2 5 person at the commissioner's office or at any alternative 2 6 location designated by the commissioner for special late 2 7 registration on any day after registration has closed in the 2 8 elector's precinct, including on election day. 2 9 3. If the commissioner is unable to make available to a 2 10 county precinct the information required of an eligible 2 11 elector who registers through special late registration 2 12 procedures, on the election register of a county precinct or 2 13 through the provision of a separate listing of the eligible 2 14 electors who register through special late registration 2 15 procedures, an eligible elector may obtain from the 2 16 commissioner of registration a form of affidavit prescribed by 2 17 the state commissioner of elections to serve as evidence of 2 18 special late registration. If the affidavit is completed by 2 19 the elector and notarized by the commissioner of registration, 2 20 the elector is deemed registered under special late 2 21 registration procedures and may present the affidavit at the 2 22 elector's polling place on election day as proof that the 2 23 elector is registered to vote. The election officials of the 2 24 elector's precinct shall accept the elector's affidavit of 2 25 special late registration and shall proceed as if the 2 26 elector's name were listed in the election register. 2 27 The election officials shall preserve all affidavits 2 28 submitted pursuant to this section and forward them to the 2 29 commissioner of registration at the time the election register 2 30 is returned. A registration under this section is subject to 2 31 verification as provided in section 48A.26. 2 32 4. The commissioner may designate alternative locations, 2 33 in addition to the commissioner's office, to provide access to 2 34 special late registration procedures. If the precinct polling 2 35 place is designated as an alternative location, the 3 1 commissioner or an employee of the commissioner shall process 3 2 special late registrations at a table separate from the 3 3 precinct election officials, in order to reduce congestion at 3 4 the polling place and to avoid discouraging voters from 3 5 casting a ballot. 3 6 Sec. 5. Section 48A.11, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code 3 7 2003, is amended to read as follows: 3 8 c. The address at which the registrant resides and claims 3 9 as the registrant's residence for voting purposes. The 3 10 commissioner may require proof of residency if the registrant 3 11 is registering pursuant to section 48A.9A. The state 3 12 commissioner of elections shall designate which documents are 3 13 acceptable to show proof of residency. 3 14 Sec. 6. Section 48A.26, subsections 1 and 4, Code 2003, 3 15 are amended to read as follows: 3 16 1. Within seven working days of receipt of a voter 3 17 registration form or change of information in a voter 3 18 registration record the commissioner shall send an 3 19 acknowledgment to the registrant at the mailing address shown 3 20 on the registration form. However, in the case of special 3 21 late registrations, the commissioner shall send the 3 22 acknowledgment within ten days of receipt of the special late 3 23 registration. The acknowledgment shall be sent by 3 24 nonforwardable mail. 3 25 4. If the acknowledgment is returned as undeliverable by 3 26 the United States postal service, the commissioner shall 3 27 follow the procedure described in section 48A.29, subsection 3 28 1. However, if the acknowledgment mailed for a special late 3 29 registration is returned as undeliverable by the postal 3 30 service, the commissioner shall cancel the registration and 3 31 shall immediately notify the state commissioner of 3 32 registration and the county attorney. 3 33 Sec. 7. Section 48A.26, Code 2003, is amended by adding 3 34 the following new subsection: 3 35 NEW SUBSECTION. 1A. Within ten working days after 4 1 receiving a special late registration pursuant to section 4 2 48A.9A, the commissioner shall send an acknowledgment to the 4 3 registrant at the mailing address shown on the registration 4 4 form. The acknowledgment shall be sent by nonforwardable 4 5 mail. 4 6 Sec. 8. Section 48A.26, subsection 7, Code 2003, is 4 7 amended to read as follows: 4 8 7. When a person who is at least seventeenand one-half4 9 years of age but less than eighteen years of age registers to 4 10 vote, the commissioner shall maintain a record of the 4 11 registration so as to clearly indicate that it will not take 4 12 effect until the registrant's eighteenth birthday and that the 4 13 person is registered and qualifies to vote at any election 4 14 held on or after that date. However, for purposes of voting 4 15 in a school district election, the registration shall take 4 16 effect immediately. 4 17 Sec. 9. Section 48A.30, subsection 1, Code 2003, is 4 18 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 4 19 NEW PARAGRAPH. g. The acknowledgment of a voter who 4 20 registered to vote under the special late registration 4 21 provisions is returned pursuant to section 48A.29, subsection 4 22 1 or 2. 4 23 Sec. 10. Section 49.77, Code 2003, is amended by adding 4 24 the following new subsection: 4 25 NEW SUBSECTION. 6. A person whose name does not appear on 4 26 the election register of the precinct who registers under 4 27 section 48A.9A shall be allowed to cast a ballot and the 4 28 precinct election official is not under a duty to require that 4 29 the ballot be cast under section 49.81. 4 30 Sec. 11. Section 49.81, subsection 4, unnumbered paragraph 4 31 2, Code 2003, is amended to read as follows: 4 32 I believe I am a registered voter of this precinct. I 4 33 registered to vote in ...... county on or about ...... at 4 34 ....... My name at that time was ....... I have not moved to a 4 35 different county since that time. I am a United States 5 1 citizen, at least eighteen years of age or seventeen years of 5 2 age in the case of a school district election. 5 3 ............. 5 4 (signature of voter) (date) 5 5 Sec. 12. NEW SECTION. 53.3 ONGOING ABSENTEE VOTER. 5 6 A registered voter applying for an absentee ballot under 5 7 section 53.2 using the state commissioner's prescribed form 5 8 for absentee ballot applications may request to receive an 5 9 absentee ballot for each subsequent general election in which 5 10 that person is eligible to vote, and qualifies under section 5 11 53.1. The state commissioner shall provide on the prescribed 5 12 form a check box for this purpose. For each subsequent 5 13 general election, the commissioner shall automatically mail an 5 14 absentee ballot to the requesting voter, or automatically 5 15 deliver an absentee ballot to a confined person pursuant to 5 16 section 53.22. A voter's status as an ongoing absentee voter 5 17 shall be terminated upon the request of the voter, by the 5 18 commissioner if the voter fails to qualify under section 53.1, 5 19 or if the voter fails to vote in a subsequent general 5 20 election. 5 21 Sec. 13. IMPLEMENTATION OF ACT. Section 25B.2, subsection 5 22 3, shall not apply to this Act. 5 23 EXPLANATION 5 24 This bill relates to the conduct of elections and voter 5 25 registration. 5 26 The bill allows a person at least 17 years of age to 5 27 register to vote. The bill also allows an elector who is at 5 28 least 17 years of age to vote in school district elections. 5 29 The bill provides for a special late voter registration 5 30 procedure which would enable an eligible elector to vote at 5 31 the polling place on election day. The person is required to 5 32 have been a resident of the county in which the election is 5 33 held for 10 days immediately preceding the election. The 5 34 person is also required to show proof of residency when 5 35 registering. The state commissioner of elections, i.e., the 6 1 secretary of state, shall designate which documents are 6 2 acceptable to show proof of residency. 6 3 The bill provides for the issuance of special late 6 4 registration affidavits to serve as proof of voting 6 5 eligibility if the county commissioner of registration is 6 6 unable to make the information required of an eligible elector 6 7 available on the election register of a county precinct. 6 8 The bill requires the county commissioner to mail 6 9 acknowledgment to the late registrant within 10 days of 6 10 registering. If the acknowledgment is returned as 6 11 undeliverable by the postal service, the commissioner is 6 12 directed to cancel the registration and immediately notify the 6 13 state commissioner of registration and the county attorney. 6 14 The bill allows an absentee voter to receive absentee 6 15 ballots for all subsequent general elections without having to 6 16 reapply before each election. A person's status as an ongoing 6 17 absentee voter can be terminated by that person, by the county 6 18 commissioner of elections if the person fails to qualify as an 6 19 absentee voter, or if the voter fails to vote in a subsequent 6 20 general election. 6 21 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 6 22 section 25B.3. The bill makes inapplicable Code section 6 23 25B.2, subsection 3, which would relieve a political 6 24 subdivision from complying with a state mandate if funding for 6 25 the cost of the state mandate is not provided or specified. 6 26 Therefore, political subdivisions are required to comply with 6 27 any state mandate included in the bill. 6 28 LSB 5861SS 80 6 29 sc/sh/8
Text: SF02045 Text: SF02047 Text: SF02000 - SF02099 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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