House File 137 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 137
BY HUNTER, OLSON,
JACOBY, ANDERSON,
WESSEL-KROESCHELL, KRESSIG,
CAHILL, WILBURN, STAED,
KONFRST, JAMES, and
WINCKLER
A BILL FOR
1 An Act providing for ongoing absentee voter status.
2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 53.4 Ongoing absentee voter.
2 A registered voter applying for an absentee ballot under
3 section 53.2 may request to receive an absentee ballot for all
4 subsequent elections or for each subsequent general election
5 in which that person is eligible to vote and qualifies under
6 section 53.1. The state commissioner shall provide check boxes
7 on the prescribed form for this purpose. For all subsequent
8 elections or for each subsequent general election, the county
9 commissioner of elections shall automatically mail an absentee
10 ballot to the requesting voter, or automatically deliver an
11 absentee ballot if the requester is a person voting pursuant to
12 section 53.22. A voter’s status as an ongoing absentee voter
13 shall be terminated upon the request of the voter or by the
14 county commissioner if the voter fails to qualify under section
15 53.1 or if the voter fails to vote in two consecutive general
16 elections.
17 EXPLANATION
18 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
19 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
20 This bill allows an absentee voter to receive absentee
21 ballots for all subsequent general elections without having to
22 reapply before each election. A person’s status as an ongoing
23 absentee voter can be terminated by that person or by the
24 county commissioner of elections if the person fails to qualify
25 as an absentee voter or if the person fails to vote in two
26 consecutive general elections.
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