A request in writing for a ballot may be made by any member of the armed forces of the United States who is or will be a qualified voter on the day of the election at which the ballot is to be cast, at any time before the election. Any member of the armed forces of the United States may request ballots for all elections to be held within a calendar year. The request may be made by using the federal postcard application form and indicating that the applicant wishes to receive ballots for all elections as permitted by state law. The county auditor shall send the applicant a ballot for each election held during the calendar year in which the application is received.
Unless the request specifies otherwise, a request for the primary election shall also be considered a request for the general election. In the case of the general election request may be made not more than seventy days before the election, for and on behalf of a voter in the armed forces of the United States by a spouse, parent, parent-in-law, adult brother, adult sister, or adult child of the voter, residing in the county of the voter's residence. However, a request made by other than the voter may be required to be made on forms prescribed by the state commissioner.
A request shall show the residence (including street address, if any) of the voter, the age of the voter, and length of residence in the city or township, county and state, and shall designate the address to which the ballot is to be sent, and in the case of the primary election, the party affiliation of such voter. Such request shall be made to the commissioner of the county of the voter's residence, provided that if the request is made by the voter to any elective state, city or county official, the said official shall forward it to the commissioner of the county of the voter's residence, and such request so forwarded shall have the same force and effect as if made direct to the commissioner by the voter.
The commissioner shall immediately on the fortieth day prior to the particular election transmit ballots to the voter by mail or otherwise, postage prepaid, as directed by the state commissioner, requests for which are in the commissioner's hands at that time, and thereafter so transmit ballots immediately upon receipt of requests. A request for ballot for the primary election which does not state the party affiliation of the voter making the request is void and of no effect. A request which does not show that the person for whom a ballot is requested will be a qualified voter in the precinct in which the ballot is to be cast on the day of the election for which the ballot is requested, shall not be honored. However, a request which states the age and the city, including street address, if any, or township, and county where the voter resides, and which shows a sufficient period of residence, is sufficient to show that the person is a qualified voter. A request by the voter containing substantially the information required is sufficient.
If the affidavit on the ballot envelope shows that the affiant is not a qualified voter on the day of the election at which the ballot is offered for voting, the envelope shall not be opened, but the envelope and ballot contained in the envelope shall be preserved and returned by the precinct election officials to the commissioner, who shall preserve them for the period of time and under the conditions provided for in sections 50.12 through 50.15 and section 50.19.
[C54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, § 53.40]
84 Acts, ch 1219, § 3; 87 Acts, ch 221, § 18; 89 Acts, ch 136, §55; 94 Acts, ch 1180, §27
Referred to in § 48A.5, 53.45
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© 2001 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
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