Bill Text: IA SF2199 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to absentee voting by uniformed and overseas citizens. (Formerly SSB 3037.)

Sponsorship: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-29 - Withdrawn. S.J. 383. [SF2199 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-SF2199-Introduced.html

---

Senate File 2199 - Introduced




                                 SENATE FILE       
                                 BY  COMMITTEE ON STATE
                                     GOVERNMENT

                                 (SUCCESSOR TO SSB
                                     3037)

                                 (COMPANION TO HF 2147
                                     by Committee on state
                                     government)

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to absentee voting by uniformed and overseas
  2    citizens.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
    TLSB 5237SV (1) 86
    aw/sc

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 53.45, subsection 1, paragraph b, Code
  1  2 2016, is amended to read as follows:
  1  3    b.  The application for a special absentee ballot shall not
  1  4 be filed earlier than ninety one hundred twenty days prior to
  1  5 the general election. The special absentee ballot shall list
  1  6 the offices and measures, if known, scheduled to appear on the
  1  7 general election ballot. The eligible elector may use the
  1  8 special absentee ballot to write in the name of any eligible
  1  9 candidate for each office and may vote on any measure.
  1 10    Sec. 2.  Section 53.53, subsection 1, Code 2016, is amended
  1 11 to read as follows:
  1 12    1.  Upon receipt of an official federal write=in ballot, the
  1 13 commissioner shall examine the voter's written declarations
  1 14 on the envelope. If it appears that the voter is eligible to
  1 15 vote under the provisions of this subchapter, has applied in a
  1 16 timely fashion for an absentee ballot, and has complied with
  1 17 all requirements for the federal write=in ballot, then the
  1 18 federal write=in ballot is valid unless the an Iowa absentee
  1 19 ballot is received from the voter in time to be counted.
  1 20    Sec. 3.  Section 53.53, subsection 4, paragraph b, Code 2016,
  1 21 is amended by striking the paragraph.
  1 22                           EXPLANATION
  1 23 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  1 24 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  1 25    This bill relates to absentee voting by uniformed and
  1 26 overseas citizens.
  1 27    Under current law, eligible electors may request and then
  1 28 vote using a special absentee ballot for general elections if
  1 29 the eligible elector will be residing, stationed, or working
  1 30 outside of the continental United States and if the eligible
  1 31 elector will be unable to vote and return a regular absentee
  1 32 ballot through normal mail delivery. The bill extends the
  1 33 allowable time for filing an application for a special absentee
  1 34 ballot from 90 to 120 days.
  1 35    Under current law, military and overseas voters are allowed
  2  1 to vote in primary and general elections, as well as certain
  2  2 special elections, by voting and submitting a federal write=in
  2  3 absentee ballot. The bill strikes current requirements
  2  4 related to a voter's submission of a regular absentee ballot
  2  5 application for a voter's federal write=in absentee ballot to
  2  6 be counted.
       LSB 5237SV (1) 86
       aw/sc