Senate Study Bill 3020 - Introduced SENATE/HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED SECRETARY OF STATE BILL) A BILL FOR An Act requiring that absentee ballot return envelopes be 1 conspicuously marked with county commissioner of elections 2 receipt and postmark requirements. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5290XD (1) 84 aw/sc

S.F. _____ H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 53.17, subsection 2, Code 2011, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 2. a. In order for the ballot to be counted, the return 3 envelope must be received in the commissioner’s office before 4 the polls close on election day or be clearly postmarked by an 5 officially authorized postal service not later than the day 6 before the election and received by the commissioner not later 7 than noon on the Monday following the election. 8 b. Return envelopes shall be conspicuously marked to provide 9 voters with notice of the requirements of this subsection. The 10 state commissioner of elections shall adopt rules to implement 11 this paragraph. 12 EXPLANATION 13 This bill requires that all absentee ballot return envelopes 14 be marked conspicuously to give notice to voters that in 15 order for the absentee ballot to be counted the ballot must 16 be received before the polls close on election day or be 17 postmarked by the day before the election and received by the 18 county commissioner of elections not later than noon on the 19 Monday following the election. The state commissioner of 20 elections shall adopt rules to implement this requirement. 21 -1- LSB 5290XD (1) 84 aw/sc 1/ 1