S683 - Combat Absentee Ballot Fraud. (SL 2019-239)

Session Year 2019

Overview: S.L. 2019-239 does all of the following:

  • Requires that a request for mail-in absentee ballots be completed entirely by the requestor, indicate the date of the election for the request, and be returned to the county board of elections by the requestor. Voters may receive assistance from a multipartisan team or some other person in certain instances. This section became effective January 1, 2020, and applies to elections conducted on or after that date.
  • Requires a voter voting mail-in absentee to submit photo identification, or an affidavit for the lack thereof, with the returned application and voted ballot. This section became effective January 1, 2020, and applies to elections conducted on or after that date.
  • Provides that the list of voters requesting a mail-in absentee ballot is confidential until the opening of the polls on election day. This section became effective January 1, 2020, and applies to elections conducted on or after that date.
  • Enhances the penalties for certain violations of the law regarding absentee ballots, and creates new crimes for selling completed request forms or voted ballots, receiving payment based on a number of returned requests, intentionally failing to deliver requests or ballots, or copying or retaining identifying information from a request or application. This section became effective December 1, 2019, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.
  • Restores the last Saturday of early voting, and modifies times for early voting. This section became effective January 1, 2020, and applies to elections conducted on or after that date
  • Allows the State Board of Elections to authorize a county to continue to use DRE voting systems in the 2020 elections under certain conditions. This section became effective November 6, 2019 and expires August 1, 2020.
  • Allows a county board of elections to test proposed voting systems during a simulated election prior to approval by the board of county commissioners. This section became effective November 6, 2019
  • Makes appropriations for the budget of the State Board of Elections for the fiscal biennium ending June 30, 2021
  • Requires the State Board of Elections to report on post-election audits. This section became effective November 6, 2019.

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