Bill Text: IA HF73 | 2019-2020 | 88th General Assembly | Introduced
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 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-01-23 - Introduced, referred to State Government. H.J. 134. [HF73 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2019-HF73-Introduced.html
House
File
73
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
73
BY
HUNTER
,
STAED
,
and
KURTZ
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
allowing
registered
voters
to
make
applications
for
1
absentee
ballots
through
electronic
means
and
making
2
penalties
applicable.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
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Section
1.
Section
47.2,
Code
2019,
is
amended
by
adding
the
1
following
new
subsection:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
7.
The
commissioner
shall
provide
for
3
the
submission
of
electronic
absentee
ballot
applications
on
4
the
commissioner’s
internet
site
pursuant
to
section
53.2,
5
subsection
1,
paragraph
“c”
.
6
Sec.
2.
Section
53.2,
subsection
1,
Code
2019,
is
amended
by
7
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
8
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
c.
A
registered
voter
may
apply
to
the
9
commissioner
for
an
absentee
ballot
through
electronic
means
10
either
through
electronic
mail
sent
to
the
commissioner
or
11
through
the
commissioner’s
internet
site.
An
electronic
12
application
for
an
absentee
ballot
must
be
received
by
the
13
commissioner
no
later
than
5:00
p.m.
on
the
Friday
before
the
14
election.
An
electronic
application
for
an
absentee
ballot
15
received
by
the
commissioner
more
than
seventy
days
prior
to
16
the
date
of
the
election
shall
be
retained
by
the
commissioner
17
and
processed
in
the
same
manner
as
an
electronic
application
18
received
not
more
than
seventy
days
before
the
date
of
the
19
election.
20
Sec.
3.
Section
53.2,
subsection
4,
paragraph
a,
Code
2019,
21
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
22
a.
Each
application
shall
contain
the
following
information:
23
(1)
The
name
and
signature
of
the
registered
voter.
24
(2)
For
an
application
submitted
pursuant
to
subsection
1,
25
paragraph
“a”
or
“b”
,
the
signature
of
the
registered
voter.
26
(2)
(3)
The
registered
voter’s
date
of
birth.
27
(3)
(4)
The
address
at
which
the
voter
is
registered
to
28
vote.
29
(4)
(5)
The
registered
voter’s
voter
verification
number
30
or,
for
an
application
submitted
pursuant
to
subsection
1,
31
paragraph
“c”
,
either
the
registered
voter’s
voter
verification
32
number
or
the
last
four
numerals
of
the
registered
voter’s
33
social
security
number
.
34
(5)
(6)
The
name
or
date
of
the
election
for
which
the
35
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absentee
ballot
is
requested.
1
(6)
(7)
Such
other
information
as
may
be
necessary
to
2
determine
the
correct
absentee
ballot
for
the
registered
voter.
3
EXPLANATION
4
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
5
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
6
This
bill
allows
registered
voters
to
make
applications
for
7
absentee
ballots
through
electronic
means.
Under
the
bill,
a
8
registered
voter
may
apply
to
the
commissioner
for
an
absentee
9
ballot
either
through
electronic
mail
or
through
the
county
10
commissioner
of
election’s
internet
site.
11
An
electronic
application
for
an
absentee
ballot
must
be
12
received
no
later
than
5:00
p.m.
on
the
Friday
before
the
13
election.
If
the
commissioner
receives
such
an
application
14
more
than
70
days
prior
to
the
date
of
the
election,
the
15
commissioner
is
required
to
retain
the
application
and
process
16
it
in
the
same
manner
as
an
electronic
application
received
17
not
more
than
70
days
before
the
date
of
the
election.
These
18
provisions
are
the
same
as
those
for
written
applications
under
19
current
law.
20
An
electronic
application
for
an
absentee
ballot
is
21
required
to
contain
all
of
the
same
information
as
a
written
22
application,
except
that
such
an
application
need
not
include
a
23
signature
and
may
include
the
last
four
digits
of
the
voter’s
24
social
security
number
in
lieu
of
a
voter
verification
number.
25
Under
current
law,
a
person
commits
election
misconduct
26
in
the
first
degree
if
the
person
makes
a
false
or
untrue
27
statement
in
an
application
for
an
absentee
ballot
or
makes
or
28
signs
a
false
certification
or
affidavit
in
connection
with
29
an
absentee
ballot.
Election
misconduct
in
the
first
degree
30
is
a
class
“D”
felony.
A
class
“D”
felony
is
punishable
by
31
confinement
for
no
more
than
five
years
and
a
fine
of
at
least
32
$750
but
not
more
than
$7,500.
33
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