Bill Text: IA SSB1173 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A study bill for an act related to absentee ballot deadlines.
Spectrum: Unknown
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-02-25 - Voted - State Government. [SSB1173 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2015-SSB1173-Introduced.html
Senate
Study
Bill
1173
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
COMMITTEE
ON
STATE
GOVERNMENT
BILL
BY
CHAIRPERSON
DANIELSON)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
related
to
absentee
ballot
deadlines.
1
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
2
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Section
1.
Section
53.17,
subsection
1,
paragraph
b,
Code
1
2015,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
b.
The
sealed
return
envelope
may
be
mailed
to
the
3
commissioner
by
the
registered
voter
or
by
the
voter’s
4
designee.
If
mailed
by
the
voter’s
designee,
the
envelope
5
must
be
mailed
within
seventy-two
hours
of
retrieving
it
from
6
the
voter
or
within
time
to
be
postmarked
not
later
than
the
7
day
before
the
election
received
in
the
commissioner’s
office
8
before
the
polls
close
on
election
day
,
whichever
is
earlier.
9
Sec.
2.
Section
53.17,
subsections
2
and
3,
Code
2015,
are
10
amended
to
read
as
follows:
11
2.
In
order
for
the
ballot
to
be
counted,
the
return
12
envelope
must
be
received
in
the
commissioner’s
office
before
13
the
polls
close
on
election
day
or
be
clearly
postmarked
by
14
an
officially
authorized
postal
service
not
later
than
the
15
day
before
the
election
and
received
by
the
commissioner
not
16
later
than
noon
on
the
Monday
following
the
election
,
except
17
for
ballots
received
from
a
member
of
the
armed
forces
of
the
18
United
States
pursuant
to
subchapter
II
of
this
chapter,
which
19
must
be
received
by
noon
on
the
day
before
the
supervisors
20
canvass
the
votes
.
21
3.
If
the
law
authorizing
the
election
specifies
that
22
the
supervisors
canvass
the
votes
earlier
than
the
Monday
23
following
the
election,
absentee
ballots
returned
through
the
24
mail
must
be
received
not
later
than
the
time
established
for
25
the
canvass
by
the
board
of
supervisors
for
that
election.
26
The
commissioner
shall
contact
the
post
office
serving
the
27
commissioner’s
office
at
the
latest
practicable
hour
before
28
the
canvass
by
the
board
of
supervisors
10:00
a.m.
on
the
day
29
before
the
board
of
supervisors
canvass
the
votes
for
that
30
election,
and
shall
arrange
for
absentee
ballots
received
in
31
that
post
office
but
not
yet
delivered
to
the
commissioner’s
32
office
to
be
brought
to
the
commissioner’s
office
before
the
33
canvass
for
that
election
by
the
board
of
supervisors
noon
on
34
that
day
.
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Sec.
3.
Section
53.17,
subsection
4,
paragraph
f,
Code
2015,
1
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
f.
A
statement
that
the
completed
absentee
ballot
will
3
be
delivered
to
the
commissioner’s
office
within
seventy-two
4
hours
of
retrieving
it
from
the
voter
or
before
the
closing
of
5
the
polls
on
election
day,
whichever
is
earlier,
or
that
the
6
completed
absentee
ballot
will
be
mailed
to
the
commissioner
7
within
seventy-two
hours
of
retrieving
it
from
the
voter
or
8
within
time
to
be
postmarked
not
later
than
the
day
before
the
9
election
received
in
the
commissioner’s
office
before
the
polls
10
close
on
election
day
,
whichever
is
earlier.
11
EXPLANATION
12
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
13
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
14
This
bill
relates
to
absentee
ballot
deadlines.
Under
15
current
law,
an
absentee
ballot
received
by
a
county
16
commissioner
of
elections
is
valid
if
it
is
received
by
the
17
commissioner
before
the
polls
close
on
election
day
or
if
it
is
18
clearly
postmarked
by
an
officially
authorized
postal
service
19
not
later
than
the
day
before
the
election
and
is
received
by
20
the
commissioner
not
later
than
noon
on
the
Monday
following
21
the
election.
Under
the
bill,
for
an
absentee
ballot
to
be
22
valid
it
must
be
received
by
the
commissioner
before
the
polls
23
close
on
election
day,
unless
the
absentee
ballot
is
completed
24
by
a
military
or
overseas
voter.
The
bill
provides
that
for
25
a
military
or
overseas
voter’s
ballot
to
be
valid,
it
must
be
26
received
by
noon
on
the
day
before
the
supervisors
canvass
the
27
votes.
28
The
bill
makes
additional
corresponding
changes.
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