Bill Text: IA HSB146 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A study bill related to absentee ballot deadlines.

Spectrum: Unknown

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-03 - Voted - State Government. [HSB146 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-HSB146-Introduced.html

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House Study Bill 146 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE _____
BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
STATE GOVERNMENT BILL BY
CHAIRPERSON VANDER LINDEN)
A BILL FOR
An Act related to absentee ballot deadlines.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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H.F. _____
Section 1. Section 53.17, subsection 1, paragraph b, Code
2015, is amended to read as follows:
b. The sealed return envelope may be mailed to the
commissioner by the registered voter or by the voter’s
designee. If mailed by the voter’s designee, the envelope
must be mailed within seventy-two hours of retrieving it from
the voter or within time to be postmarked not later than the
day before the election received in the commissioner’s office
before the polls close on election day , whichever is earlier.
Sec. 2. Section 53.17, subsections 2 and 3, Code 2015, are
amended to read as follows:
2. In order for the ballot to be counted, the return
envelope must be received in the commissioner’s office before
the polls close on election day or be clearly postmarked by
an officially authorized postal service not later than the
day before the election and received by the commissioner not
later than noon on the Monday following the election , except
for ballots received from a member of the armed forces of the
United States pursuant to subchapter II of this chapter, which
must be received by noon on the day before the supervisors
canvass the votes .
3. If the law authorizing the election specifies that
the supervisors canvass the votes earlier than the Monday
following the election, absentee ballots returned through the
mail must be received not later than the time established for
the canvass by the board of supervisors for that election.
The commissioner shall contact the post office serving the
commissioner’s office at the latest practicable hour before
the canvass by the board of supervisors 10:00 a.m. on the day
before the board of supervisors canvass the votes for that
election, and shall arrange for absentee ballots received in
that post office but not yet delivered to the commissioner’s
office to be brought to the commissioner’s office before the
canvass for that election by the board of supervisors noon on
that day .
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H.F. _____
Sec. 3. Section 53.17, subsection 4, paragraph f, Code 2015,
is amended to read as follows:
f. A statement that the completed absentee ballot will
be delivered to the commissioner’s office within seventy-two
hours of retrieving it from the voter or before the closing of
the polls on election day, whichever is earlier, or that the
completed absentee ballot will be mailed to the commissioner
within seventy-two hours of retrieving it from the voter or
within time to be postmarked not later than the day before the
election received in the commissioner’s office before the polls
close on election day , whichever is earlier.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
This bill relates to absentee ballot deadlines. Under
current law, an absentee ballot received by a county
commissioner of elections is valid if it is received by the
commissioner before the polls close on election day or if it is
clearly postmarked by an officially authorized postal service
not later than the day before the election and is received by
the commissioner not later than noon on the Monday following
the election. Under the bill, for an absentee ballot to be
valid it must be received by the commissioner before the polls
close on election day, unless the absentee ballot is completed
by a military or overseas voter. The bill provides that for
a military or overseas voter’s ballot to be valid, it must be
received by noon on the day before the supervisors canvass the
votes.
The bill makes additional corresponding changes.
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