Bill Text: IA SF2158 | 2021-2022 | 89th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the printing and counting of absentee ballots by requiring a watermark, and including effective date provisions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-02-02 - Subcommittee: R. Smith, Cournoyer, and Jochum. S.J. 193. [SF2158 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2021-SF2158-Introduced.html
Senate
File
2158
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
2158
BY
CARLIN
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
the
printing
and
counting
of
absentee
1
ballots
by
requiring
a
watermark,
and
including
effective
2
date
provisions.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
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2158
Section
1.
Section
43.27,
Code
2022,
is
amended
to
read
as
1
follows:
2
43.27
Printing
of
ballots.
3
1.
The
text
printed
on
ballots
of
each
political
party
4
shall
be
in
black
ink,
on
separate
sheets
of
paper,
uniform
5
in
quality,
texture,
and
size,
with
the
name
of
the
political
6
party
printed
at
the
head
of
the
ballots,
which
ballots
shall
7
be
prepared
by
the
commissioner
in
the
same
manner
as
for
the
8
general
election,
except
as
provided
in
this
chapter
.
The
9
commissioner
may
print
the
ballots
for
each
political
party
10
using
a
different
color
for
each
party.
If
colored
paper
is
11
used,
all
of
the
ballots
for
each
separate
party
shall
be
12
uniform
in
color.
13
2.
Each
absentee
ballot
shall
include
a
watermark
14
approved
by
the
state
commissioner.
The
watermark
shall
be
15
easily
discernible
for
verification
purposes
by
the
county
16
commissioner
and
the
absentee
and
special
voters
precinct
17
election
board.
The
state
commissioner
shall
adopt
rules
for
18
the
implementation
of
this
subsection.
19
Sec.
2.
Section
49.57,
Code
2022,
is
amended
by
adding
the
20
following
new
subsection:
21
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
8.
Each
absentee
ballot
shall
include
a
22
watermark
approved
by
the
state
commissioner.
The
watermark
23
shall
be
easily
discernible
for
verification
purposes
by
24
the
county
commissioner
and
the
absentee
and
special
voters
25
precinct
election
board.
The
state
commissioner
shall
adopt
26
rules
for
the
implementation
of
this
subsection.
27
Sec.
3.
Section
53.25,
subsection
1,
Code
2022,
is
amended
28
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
29
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
c.
If
an
absentee
voter’s
ballot
lacks
the
30
watermark
required
pursuant
to
section
43.27
or
49.57,
the
31
absentee
ballot
shall
be
rejected
by
the
absentee
and
special
32
voters
precinct
board.
33
Sec.
4.
Section
53.26,
subsection
2,
Code
2022,
is
amended
34
to
read
as
follows:
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2158
2.
All
Except
for
an
absentee
ballot
rejected
due
to
the
1
lack
of
a
required
watermark,
all
rejected
ballots
shall
be
2
enclosed
and
securely
sealed
in
an
envelope
on
which
the
3
precinct
election
officials
shall
endorse
“Defective
ballots”,
4
with
a
statement
signed
by
the
precinct
election
officials
5
regarding
the
precinct
in
which
and
the
date
of
the
election
6
at
which
they
were
cast.
The
envelope
shall
be
returned
to
7
the
same
officer
and
in
the
same
manner
as
by
law
provided
for
8
the
return
and
preservation
of
official
ballots
voted
at
such
9
election.
10
Sec.
5.
Section
53.26,
Code
2022,
is
amended
by
adding
the
11
following
new
subsection:
12
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
3.
An
absentee
ballot
rejected
due
to
13
the
lack
of
a
required
watermark,
including
its
affidavit
14
envelope,
shall
be
kept
separate
from
all
other
ballots.
The
15
commissioner
shall
send
notification
of
the
rejection
to
the
16
state
commissioner
of
elections,
relevant
county
attorney,
17
and
attorney
general,
who
shall
investigate
the
ballot
for
18
potential
election
misconduct.
19
Sec.
6.
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
This
Act
takes
effect
July
1,
2023,
20
except
that
the
state
commissioner
of
elections
may
adopt
rules
21
for
the
implementation
of
this
Act
prior
to
that
date.
22
EXPLANATION
23
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
24
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
25
This
bill
relates
to
the
printing
of
ballots.
The
bill
26
requires
each
absentee
ballot
to
include
a
watermark,
approved
27
by
the
state
commissioner
of
elections,
that
is
easily
28
discernible
to
the
county
commissioner
of
elections
and
the
29
absentee
and
special
voters
precinct
election
board.
If
an
30
absentee
ballot
lacks
the
watermark,
the
bill
requires
the
31
absentee
and
special
voters
precinct
board
to
reject
the
32
ballot,
keep
the
ballot
and
the
ballot’s
affidavit
envelope
33
separate
from
all
other
ballots,
and
report
the
ballot
to
the
34
state
commissioner
of
elections,
relevant
county
attorney,
35
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