The proposed bill would significantly update current statutes related to early voting and ballot submission deadlines. It would change the deadline for early ballots to be received at voting locations from 7:00 p.m. on election day to 7:00 p.m. on the Friday before election day. Additionally, it would allow county recorders to distribute early ballots up to 29 days prior to election day and extend on-site early voting to include the Saturday and Monday before election day. The bill would also eliminate emergency voting during the specified period and remove the authority of school principals to deny polling place requests.

Moreover, the bill introduces provisions for on-site tabulation of early ballots throughout the early voting period, requiring in-person early voters to surrender their ballots for this purpose. It would repeal the requirement for county recorders to count and post the number of early ballots returned on election day. Other changes include allowing voters to update their registration at early voting locations, eliminating the mail affidavit envelope requirement for in-person voters, and clarifying that starting in 2026, no additional signature verification will be needed for early ballots already verified as sufficient. These updates aim to streamline the early voting process and improve the efficiency of ballot handling.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 16-411, 16-542, 16-547, 16-548, 16-552, 16-544, 16-579.02, 16-579, 16-452, 16-515, 16-204, 16-804, 99-410, 16-153, 16-545, 16-409, 16-1005