Senate File 123 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT (SUCCESSOR TO SF 52) Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act allowing an immediate family member to return a voted 2 absentee ballot in person to the office of the county 3 commissioner of elections. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 1732SV 81 6 sc/pj/5 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 39A.4, subsection 1, paragraph c, 1 2 subparagraphs (11) and (12), Code 2005, are amended to read as 1 3 follows: 1 4 (11) Returning a voted absentee ballot, by mail or in 1 5 person, to the commissioner's office and the person returning 1 6 the ballot is not the voter, an immediate family member of the 1 7 voter, an absentee ballot courier, a special precinct election 1 8 official designated pursuant to section 53.22, subsection 1, 1 9 or the designee of a voter described in section 53.22, 1 10 subsection 5. 1 11 (12) Making a false or untrue statement reporting that a 1 12 voted absentee ballot was returned to the commissioner's 1 13 office, by mail or in person, by a person other than the 1 14 voter, an immediate family member of the voter, an absentee 1 15 ballot courier, a special precinct election official 1 16 designated pursuant to section 53.22, subsection 1, or the 1 17 designee of a voter described in section 53.22, subsection 5. 1 18 Sec. 2. Section 53.8, subsection 2, Code 2005, is amended 1 19 to read as follows: 1 20 2. If an application is received so late that it is 1 21 unlikely that the absentee ballot can be returned in time to 1 22 be counted on election day, the commissioner shall enclose 1 23 with the absentee ballot a statement to that effect. The 1 24 statement shall also point out that it is possible for the 1 25 applicant, an immediate family member of the applicant, or the 1 26 applicant's designee if the absentee ballot is voted by a 1 27 voter described in section 53.22, subsection 5, to personally 1 28 deliver the completed absentee ballot to the office of the 1 29 commissioner at any time before the closing of the polls on 1 30 election day. The statement shall also point out that it is 1 31 possible for an absentee ballot courier to personally deliver 1 32 the completed absentee ballot to the office of the 1 33 commissioner within seventy=two hours of retrieving the 1 34 completed ballot or before the closing of the polls on 1 35 election day, whichever is earlier. 2 1 Sec. 3. Section 53.17, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 2 2 2005, is amended to read as follows: 2 3 a. The sealed carrier envelope may be delivered by the 2 4 registered voter, by an immediate family member of the voter, 2 5 by the special precinct election officials designated pursuant 2 6 to section 53.22, subsection 1, or by the voter's designee if 2 7 the absentee ballot is voted by a voter described in section 2 8 53.22, subsection 5, to the commissioner's office no later 2 9 than the time the polls are closed on election day. 2 10 EXPLANATION 2 11 This bill allows an immediate family member of an absentee 2 12 voter to deliver the voted ballot to the commissioner's 2 13 office. Corresponding amendments are made to Code sections 2 14 39A.4 and 53.8. 2 15 LSB 1732SV 81 2 16 sc:nh/pj/5