Bill Text: IA HF113 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A bill for an act allowing registered voters to make applications for absentee ballots through electronic means and making penalties applicable.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-01-28 - Subcommittee, Watts, Highfill, and Prichard. H.J. 171. [HF113 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-HF113-Introduced.html

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House File 113 - Introduced




                                 HOUSE FILE       
                                 BY  HUNTER

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act allowing registered voters to make applications for
  2    absentee ballots through electronic means and making
  3    penalties applicable.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 47.2, Code 2015, is amended by adding the
  1  2 following new subsection:
  1  3    NEW SUBSECTION.  7.  The commissioner shall provide for
  1  4 the submission of electronic absentee ballot applications on
  1  5 the commissioner's internet site pursuant to section 53.2,
  1  6 subsection 1, paragraph "c".
  1  7    Sec. 2.  Section 53.2, subsection 1, Code 2015, is amended by
  1  8 adding the following new paragraph:
  1  9    NEW PARAGRAPH.  c.  A registered voter may apply to the
  1 10 commissioner for an absentee ballot through electronic means
  1 11 either through electronic mail to the commissioner or through
  1 12 the commissioner's internet site. An electronic application
  1 13 for an absentee ballot must be received by the commissioner no
  1 14 later than 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before the election. An
  1 15 electronic application for an absentee ballot received by the
  1 16 commissioner more than seventy days prior to the date of the
  1 17 election shall be retained by the commissioner and processed in
  1 18 the same manner as an electronic application received not more
  1 19 than seventy days before the date of the election.
  1 20    Sec. 3.  Section 53.2, subsection 4, Code 2015, is amended
  1 21 to read as follows:
  1 22    4.  a.  Each application shall contain the name and signature
  1 23  of the registered voter, the registered voter's date of birth,
  1 24 the address at which the voter is registered to vote, and the
  1 25 name or date of the election for which the absentee ballot is
  1 26 requested, and such other information as may be necessary to
  1 27 determine the correct absentee ballot for the registered voter.
  1 28 If insufficient information has been provided, either on the
  1 29 prescribed form or on an application created by the applicant,
  1 30 the commissioner shall, by the best means available, obtain the
  1 31 additional necessary information.
  1 32    b.  In addition to the other requirements of this section:
  1 33    (1)  An application received pursuant to subsection 1,
  1 34 paragraph "a" or "b", shall contain the signature of the
  1 35 registered voter.
  2  1    (2)  An application received pursuant to subsection 1,
  2  2 paragraph "c", shall include at least one of the following:
  2  3    (a)  The Iowa driver's license number of the registered
  2  4 voter.
  2  5    (b)  The Iowa nonoperator's identification card number of
  2  6 the registered voter.
  2  7    (c)  The last four numerals of the registered voter's social
  2  8 security number.
  2  9                           EXPLANATION
  2 10 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  2 11 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  2 12    This bill allows eligible electors to make applications for
  2 13 absentee ballots through electronic means. Under the bill, a
  2 14 registered voter may apply to the commissioner for an absentee
  2 15 ballot either through electronic mail or through the county
  2 16 commissioner of election's internet site.
  2 17    An electronic application for an absentee ballot must be
  2 18 received no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before the
  2 19 election. If the commissioner receives such an application
  2 20 more than 70 days prior to the date of the election, the
  2 21 commissioner is required to retain the application and process
  2 22 it in the same manner as an electronic application received
  2 23 not more than 70 days before the date of the election. These
  2 24 provisions are the same as those for written applications under
  2 25 current law.
  2 26    An electronic application for an absentee ballot is
  2 27 required to contain all of the same information as a written
  2 28 application, except that, in lieu of the registered voter's
  2 29 signature, an electronic application is required to include
  2 30 the registered voter's Iowa driver's license number, Iowa
  2 31 nonoperator's identification card number, or the last four
  2 32 numerals of the registered voter's social security number.
  2 33    Under current law, a person commits election misconduct
  2 34 in the first degree if the person makes a false or untrue
  2 35 statement in an application for an absentee ballot or makes or
  3  1 signs a false certification or affidavit in connection with
  3  2 an absentee ballot. Election misconduct in the first degree
  3  3 is a class "D" felony. A class "D" felony is punishable by
  3  4 confinement for no more than five years and a fine of at least
  3  5 $750 but not more than $7,500.
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