House File 63 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 63 BY M. SMITH A BILL FOR An Act relating to delivery of absentee ballots to certain 1 health care facilities and hospitals. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1235HH (6) 85 aw/sc

H.F. 63 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. If yes, how would you like your absentee ballot 11 delivered? 12 ☐ I request delivery and assistance from two special precinct 13 election officers. 14 ☐ I request delivery by mail. 15 Sec. 2. Section 53.8, subsection 3, paragraph b, Code 2013, 16 is amended to read as follows: 17 b. (1) If the application is received more than five days 18 before the ballots are printed and the commissioner has elected 19 to have the ballots personally delivered during the ten-day 20 period after the ballots are printed, the commissioner shall 21 mail to the applicant , if the applicant has not requested that 22 the absentee ballot be delivered by mail pursuant to section 23 53.22, subsection 1, paragraph “a” , subparagraph (1A), within 24 twenty-four hours a letter in substantially the following form: 25 Your application for an absentee ballot for the election 26 to be held on ...... has been received. This ballot will 27 be personally delivered to you by a bipartisan team sometime 28 during the ten days after the ballots are printed. If you will 29 not be at the address from which your application was sent 30 during any or all of the ten-day period immediately following 31 the printing of the ballots, the ballot will be personally 32 delivered to you sometime during the fourteen days preceding 33 the election. If you will not be at the address from which 34 your application was sent during either of these time periods, 35 -1- LSB 1235HH (6) 85 aw/sc 1/ 3

H.F. 63 contact this office and arrangements will be made to have your 1 absentee ballot delivered at a time when you will be present at 2 that address. 3 (2) If the application is received more than fourteen 4 calendar days before the election and the commissioner has not 5 elected to mail absentee ballots to applicants as provided 6 under section 53.22, subsection 3 , and has not elected to have 7 the absentee ballots personally delivered during the ten-day 8 period after the ballots are printed, the commissioner shall 9 mail to the applicant , if the applicant has not requested that 10 the absentee ballot be delivered by mail pursuant to section 11 53.22, subsection 1, paragraph “a” , subparagraph (1A), within 12 twenty-four hours a letter in substantially the following form: 13 Your application for an absentee ballot for the election 14 to be held on ...... has been received. This ballot will 15 be personally delivered to you by a bipartisan team sometime 16 during the fourteen days preceding the election. If you will 17 not be at the address from which your application was sent 18 during any or all of the fourteen-day period immediately 19 preceding the election, contact this office and arrangements 20 will be made to have your absentee ballot delivered at a time 21 when you will be present at that address. 22 Sec. 3. Section 53.22, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 2013, 23 is amended by adding the following new subparagraph: 24 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (1A) Notwithstanding subparagraph (1) 25 and subsection 3, the commissioner shall, if the applicant so 26 requests, have the absentee ballot delivered by mail and the 27 commissioner shall proceed under section 53.8, subsections 1 28 and 2. 29 EXPLANATION 30 Under current law, a resident or patient of a health care 31 facility or hospital who makes application for an absentee 32 ballot is, in most circumstances, delivered the ballot by two 33 special precinct election officials appointed by the county 34 commissioner of elections. This bill requires that form 35 -2- LSB 1235HH (6) 85 aw/sc 2/ 3

H.F. 63 applications for an absentee ballot include certain questions 1 related to whether the applicant is a resident or patient 2 in a health care facility or hospital and the applicant’s 3 preferred method of ballot delivery if the applicant is such a 4 resident or patient. The bill provides that, upon receipt of 5 an application for an absentee ballot by a resident of a health 6 care facility or hospital, the commissioner shall have the 7 absentee ballot delivered by mail if the applicant so requests. 8 The bill makes corresponding changes related to certain letter 9 notifications sent by the commissioner to an applicant who is a 10 resident of a hospital or health care facility. 11 -3- LSB 1235HH (6) 85 aw/sc 3/ 3