This bill establishes a prohibition on the possession of firearms at polling places during federal, state, or municipal elections, with exceptions for law enforcement officers on duty, uniformed officers voting, non-uniformed officers carrying their service weapons while voting, and individuals who secure unloaded firearms in their vehicles. Violating this prohibition will result in a class A misdemeanor. The bill also amends absentee voting eligibility criteria to include individuals who are "unwilling or unable to comply with the prohibition of firearms at a polling place," thereby allowing them to vote by absentee ballot.

Furthermore, the bill updates the absentee ballot application process to accommodate these changes, ensuring voters can indicate their inability to comply with the firearm prohibition as a valid reason for requesting an absentee ballot. It includes new provisions regarding absentee voting and outlines requirements for absentee ballot envelopes, which must contain a certification statement affirming the voter's eligibility and circumstances preventing in-person voting. The bill also specifies penalties for providing false information related to voting, classifying such actions as misdemeanors or civil penalties. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, and may have indeterminable fiscal impacts on state and local expenditures.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 657:1, 657:4, 657:7