H1169 - Bipartisan Elections Act of 2020. (SL 2020-17)

Overview: Session Law 2020-17 does the following:

• For the 2020 general election, allows for one witness for the casting of absentee ballots and provide for voter assistance by individuals working as part of multipartisan teams. For all remaining elections in 2020, provides flexibility in the filling of positions for precinct officials and allow for completed absentee request forms to be e-mailed or faxed to county boards of elections.
• Requires the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the State Board of Elections (State Board) to develop guidelines on how to safely allow multipartisan teams to assist registered voters within a congregate living situation during the 2020 elections.
• Requires applications for absentee ballots to have a bar code allowing the county board of elections and the voter to track a voted ballot following its return to the county board.
• Provides an additional two weeks for county boards of elections to approve applications for absentee ballots.
• Clarifies that voters can call the State Board or a county board of elections and request a blank absentee ballot request form be sent to the voter by mail, e-mail, or fax.
• Provides that the State Board or its Executive Director cannot deliver absentee ballots to a voter who did not submit a valid request form or order an election using all mail-in absentee ballots.
• Requires the State Board to create an online portal for voters to submit online requests for absentee ballots by September 1, 2020.
• Creates a Class I felony for any member serving on or employed by the State Board or a county board of elections to knowingly send or deliver an unrequested absentee ballot.
• Allows for special identification cards for nonoperators issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to be renewed online.
• Allows for government-issued public assistance cards to be accepted for photo identification for voting identification.
• Appropriates funds to the State Board to respond to COVID-19.

Except as otherwise provided, this act became effective on June 12, 2020.