House File 62 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 62 BY M. SMITH A BILL FOR An Act relating to delivery of absentee ballots to veterans who 1 are residents or patients of certain health care facilities 2 and hospitals. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1236HH (6) 85 aw/sc

H.F. 62 Section 1. Section 53.2, subsection 2, Code 2013, is amended 1 by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . d. Absentee ballot applications shall 3 include the following questions in substantially the following 4 form: 5 RESIDENT OR PATIENT IN A HEALTH CARE FACILITY OR HOSPITAL 6 1. Are you a resident or patient in a health care facility 7 or hospital? 8 ☐ Yes 9 ☐ No 10 2. Are you a military veteran? 11 ☐ Yes 12 ☐ No 13 3. If you answered “yes” to both questions, how would you 14 like your absentee ballot delivered? 15 ☐ I request delivery and assistance from two special precinct 16 election officers. 17 ☐ I request delivery by mail. 18 Sec. 2. Section 53.8, subsection 3, paragraph b, Code 2013, 19 is amended to read as follows: 20 b. (1) If the application is received more than five days 21 before the ballots are printed and the commissioner has elected 22 to have the ballots personally delivered during the ten-day 23 period after the ballots are printed, the commissioner shall 24 mail to the applicant , if the applicant has not requested that 25 the absentee ballot be delivered by mail pursuant to section 26 53.22, subsection 1, paragraph “a” , subparagraph (1A), within 27 twenty-four hours a letter in substantially the following form: 28 Your application for an absentee ballot for the election 29 to be held on ...... has been received. This ballot will 30 be personally delivered to you by a bipartisan team sometime 31 during the ten days after the ballots are printed. If you will 32 not be at the address from which your application was sent 33 during any or all of the ten-day period immediately following 34 the printing of the ballots, the ballot will be personally 35 -1- LSB 1236HH (6) 85 aw/sc 1/ 3

H.F. 62 delivered to you sometime during the fourteen days preceding 1 the election. If you will not be at the address from which 2 your application was sent during either of these time periods, 3 contact this office and arrangements will be made to have your 4 absentee ballot delivered at a time when you will be present at 5 that address. 6 (2) If the application is received more than fourteen 7 calendar days before the election and the commissioner has not 8 elected to mail absentee ballots to applicants as provided 9 under section 53.22, subsection 3 , and has not elected to have 10 the absentee ballots personally delivered during the ten-day 11 period after the ballots are printed, the commissioner shall 12 mail to the applicant , if the applicant has not requested that 13 the absentee ballot be delivered by mail pursuant to section 14 53.22, subsection 1, paragraph “a” , subparagraph (1A), within 15 twenty-four hours a letter in substantially the following form: 16 Your application for an absentee ballot for the election 17 to be held on ...... has been received. This ballot will 18 be personally delivered to you by a bipartisan team sometime 19 during the fourteen days preceding the election. If you will 20 not be at the address from which your application was sent 21 during any or all of the fourteen-day period immediately 22 preceding the election, contact this office and arrangements 23 will be made to have your absentee ballot delivered at a time 24 when you will be present at that address. 25 Sec. 3. Section 53.22, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 2013, 26 is amended by adding the following new subparagraph: 27 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (1A) (a) Notwithstanding subparagraph 28 (1) and subsection 3, the commissioner shall, if the applicant 29 so requests and if the applicant is a veteran as defined in 30 section 35.1, have the absentee ballot delivered by mail and 31 the commissioner shall proceed under section 53.8, subsections 32 1 and 2. 33 (b) The department of veterans affairs shall assist the 34 commissioner by providing eligibility determinations and other 35 -2- LSB 1236HH (6) 85 aw/sc 2/ 3

H.F. 62 assistance requested by the commissioner. 1 EXPLANATION 2 Under current law, a resident or patient of a health care 3 facility or hospital who makes application for an absentee 4 ballot is, in most circumstances, delivered the ballot by 5 two special precinct election officials appointed by the 6 county commissioner of elections. This bill requires that 7 form applications for an absentee ballot include certain 8 questions related to whether the applicant is a resident 9 or patient in a health care facility or hospital, military 10 veteran status, and the applicant’s preferred method of ballot 11 delivery if the applicant is such a resident or patient and is 12 a military veteran. The bill provides that, upon receipt of an 13 application for an absentee ballot by a resident of a health 14 care facility or hospital who is also a military veteran, the 15 commissioner shall have the absentee ballot delivered by mail 16 if the applicant so requests. The bill requires the department 17 of veterans affairs to assist the county commissioners of 18 elections by providing eligibility determinations and other 19 assistance requested by the county commissioners. 20 Finally, the bill makes corresponding changes related to 21 certain letter notifications sent by the commissioner to an 22 applicant who is a resident of a hospital or health care 23 facility. 24 -3- LSB 1236HH (6) 85 aw/sc 3/ 3