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Senate Bill 1599 |
Senate Author: Hughes et al. |
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Effective: 9-1-23 |
House Sponsor: Bucy |
Senate Bill 1599 amends the Election Code to revise provisions relating to mail‑in ballots, including with respect to the application for a mail‑in ballot, the opportunity to correct a defect in an application or ballot, and the acceptance of a ballot. The bill requires an election officer to maintain a register of mail-in ballots that are returned at a polling place by a person desiring to cancel their application to vote by mail and provides for the storage of such returned ballots.
Senate Bill 1599 establishes a process through which an applicant for a mail‑in ballot may correct certain defects in their application. The bill requires the early voting clerk to determine if it would be possible for the applicant to correct the defect and return an application form by mail before the applicable deadline and, if so, to either return the application to the applicant or deliver an official application form to the applicant. If it would not be possible for the applicant to correct the defect and return an application form by mail before the applicable deadline, the clerk may notify the applicant by telephone or email of the defect and inform the applicant that they may come to the clerk's office before the deadline and correct the defect in person.
Senate Bill 1599 removes requirements for a signature verification committee or early voting ballot board, on discovering a defect in a mail‑in ballot, to return the carrier envelope to the voter if time allows for the voter to correct the defect and return the envelope. The bill requires the committee or board instead to send the voter a corrective action form, to be developed by the secretary of state, and a notice that explains the defect and informs the voter that they may correct the defect in person or by submitting a corrective action form or may cancel their application to vote by mail.
Senate Bill 1599 requires an early voting clerk, signature verification committee, or early voting ballot board, with respect to a defective mail‑in ballot application or voted mail‑in ballot, as applicable, to additionally notify the applicant or voter of the defect using the online mail‑in ballot application and mail‑in ballot tracking tool and, if possible, to permit the applicant or voter to correct a defect using the online tool. The bill replaces the voter's registration address with the voter's date of birth as information that a voter must provide to access the online tool.
Senate Bill 1599 revises the timeline for delivery of mail‑in ballots to the early voting ballot board and requires the board to make its determination whether to accept mail‑in ballots after the ballots are delivered to the board. The bill clarifies that an early voting ballot board is required to compare mail‑in ballot application and carrier envelope signatures when determining whether to accept a voter's ballot regardless of whether a presumption exists that the signatures are those of the voter because the voter provided certain identifying information.