House File 137 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 137 BY HUNTER , OLSON , JACOBY , ANDERSON , WESSEL-KROESCHELL , KRESSIG , CAHILL , WILBURN , STAED , KONFRST , JAMES , and WINCKLER A BILL FOR An Act providing for ongoing absentee voter status. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 TLSB 1561YH (2) 89 ss/jh

H.F. 137 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 53.4 Ongoing absentee voter. 1 A registered voter applying for an absentee ballot under 2 section 53.2 may request to receive an absentee ballot for all 3 subsequent elections or for each subsequent general election 4 in which that person is eligible to vote and qualifies under 5 section 53.1. The state commissioner shall provide check boxes 6 on the prescribed form for this purpose. For all subsequent 7 elections or for each subsequent general election, the county 8 commissioner of elections shall automatically mail an absentee 9 ballot to the requesting voter, or automatically deliver an 10 absentee ballot if the requester is a person voting pursuant to 11 section 53.22. A voter’s status as an ongoing absentee voter 12 shall be terminated upon the request of the voter or by the 13 county commissioner if the voter fails to qualify under section 14 53.1 or if the voter fails to vote in two consecutive general 15 elections. 16 EXPLANATION 17 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 18 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 19 This bill allows an absentee voter to receive absentee 20 ballots for all subsequent general elections without having to 21 reapply before each election. A person’s status as an ongoing 22 absentee voter can be terminated by that person or by the 23 county commissioner of elections if the person fails to qualify 24 as an absentee voter or if the person fails to vote in two 25 consecutive general elections. 26 -1- LSB 1561YH (2) 89 ss/jh 1/ 1