House Amendment 1701
PAG LIN
1 1 Amend House File 844, as passed by the House, as
1 2 follows:
1 3 #1. Page 1, by inserting before line 1 the
1 4 following:
1 5 <Section 1. Section 39A.4, subsection 1, paragraph
1 6 c, subparagraphs (11) and (12), Code 2007, as amended
1 7 by 2007 Iowa Acts, House File 848, are amended to read
1 8 as follows:
1 9 (11) Returning a voted absentee ballot, by mail or
1 10 in person, to the commissioner's office and the person
1 11 returning the ballot is not the voter, an immediate
1 12 family member authorized by the voter to return the
1 13 ballot, an absentee ballot courier the voter's
1 14 designee, or a special precinct election official
1 15 designated pursuant to section 53.22, subsection 1, or
1 16 the designee of a voter described in section 53.22,
1 17 subsection 5.
1 18 (12) Making a false or untrue statement reporting
1 19 that a voted absentee ballot was returned to the
1 20 commissioner's office, by mail or in person, by a
1 21 person other than the voter, an immediate family
1 22 member authorized by the voter to return the ballot,
1 23 an absentee ballot courier the voter's designee, or a
1 24 special precinct election official designated pursuant
1 25 to section 53.22, subsection 1, or the designee of a
1 26 voter described in section 53.22, subsection 5.
1 27 Sec. 2. Section 53.8, subsection 2, Code 2007, as
1 28 amended by 2007 Iowa Acts, House File 848, is amended
1 29 to read as follows:
1 30 2. a. The commissioner shall enclose with the
1 31 absentee ballot a statement informing the applicant
1 32 that the sealed carrier envelope may be mailed to the
1 33 commissioner by the registered voter or the voter's
1 34 designee or may be personally delivered to the
1 35 commissioner's office by the registered voter or the
1 36 voter's designee. The statement shall also inform the
1 37 voter that the voter may request that the voter's
1 38 designee complete a receipt when retrieving the ballot
1 39 from the voter. A blank receipt shall be enclosed
1 40 with the absentee ballot.
1 41 b. If an application is received so late that it
1 42 is unlikely that the absentee ballot can be returned
1 43 in time to be counted on election day, the
1 44 commissioner shall enclose with the absentee ballot a
1 45 statement to that effect. The statement shall also
1 46 point out that it is possible for the applicant, an
1 47 immediate family member of the applicant, or the
1 48 applicant's designee if the absentee ballot is voted
1 49 by a voter described in section 53.22, subsection 5,
1 50 to personally deliver the completed absentee ballot to
2 1 the office of the commissioner at any time before the
2 2 closing of the polls on election day. The statement
2 3 shall also point out that it is possible for an
2 4 absentee ballot courier to personally deliver the
2 5 completed absentee ballot to the office of the
2 6 commissioner within seventy=two hours of retrieving
2 7 the completed ballot or before the closing of the
2 8 polls on election day, whichever is earlier.>
2 9 #2. Page 1, by inserting after line 15 the
2 10 following:
2 11 <Sec. . Section 53.17, subsection 1, paragraph
2 12 a, Code 2007, as amended by 2007 Iowa Acts, House File
2 13 848, is amended by striking the paragraph and
2 14 inserting in lieu thereof the following:
2 15 a. The sealed carrier envelope may be delivered by
2 16 the registered voter, by the voter's designee, or by
2 17 the special precinct election officials designated
2 18 pursuant to section 53.22, subsection 1, to the
2 19 commissioner's office no later than the time the polls
2 20 are closed on election day. However, if delivered by
2 21 the voter's designee, the envelope shall be delivered
2 22 within seventy=two hours of retrieving it from the
2 23 voter or before the closing of the polls on election
2 24 day, whichever is earlier.
2 25 Sec. . Section 53.17, subsection 1, paragraphs
2 26 b and c, Code 2007, are amended to read as follows:
2 27 b. The sealed carrier envelope may be mailed to
2 28 the commissioner by the registered voter, by an
2 29 immediate family member of the voter, or by the
2 30 voter's designee if the ballot is voted by a voter
2 31 described in section 53.22, subsection 5. If mailed
2 32 by the voter's designee, the envelope must be mailed
2 33 within seventy=two hours of retrieving it from the
2 34 voter or within time to be postmarked not later than
2 35 the day before the election, whichever is earlier.
2 36 c. The sealed carrier envelope may be delivered to
2 37 the commissioner by an absentee ballot courier, but
2 38 only as provided in subsection 4.
2 39 Sec. . Section 53.17, subsection 4, Code 2007,
2 40 is amended by striking the subsection and inserting in
2 41 lieu thereof the following:
2 42 4. When a person designated by the voter retrieves
2 43 a completed absentee ballot from the voter, the
2 44 designee shall, upon request of the voter, fill out a
2 45 receipt to be retained by the voter. The state
2 46 commissioner shall prescribe a form for receipts
2 47 required by this subsection. The receipt shall
2 48 include all of the following:
2 49 a. The name of the voter's designee.
2 50 b. The date and time the completed absentee ballot
3 1 was received from the voter.
3 2 c. The name and date of the election for which the
3 3 absentee ballot is being voted.
3 4 d. The name of the political party, candidate, or
3 5 committee for which the designee is acting as an
3 6 actual or implied agent, if applicable.
3 7 e. A telephone number at which the voter's
3 8 designee may be contacted.
3 9 f. A statement that the completed absentee ballot
3 10 will be delivered to the commissioner's office within
3 11 seventy=two hours of retrieving it from the voter or
3 12 before the closing of the polls on election day,
3 13 whichever is earlier, or that the completed absentee
3 14 ballot will be mailed to the commissioner within
3 15 seventy=two hours of retrieving it from the voter or
3 16 within time to be postmarked not later than the day
3 17 before the election, whichever is earlier.
3 18 Sec. . Section 53.17, subsection 5, Code 2007,
3 19 is amended by striking the subsection.>
3 20 #3. Title page, line 1, by inserting after the
3 21 words <relating to> the following: <absentee voting
3 22 by allowing>.
3 23 #4. Title page, line 2, by inserting after the
3 24 word <elections> the following: <and by providing for
3 25 return of absentee ballot applications and completed
3 26 absentee ballots>.
3 27 #5. By renumbering, redesignating, and correcting
3 28 internal references as necessary.
3 29 HF 844.S
3 30 sc/cc/26
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