SB0302: Absentee ballots.

Legislative Summary

Absentee ballots. Provides that absentee ballots may be processed, counted, and tabulated before 6 p.m. on election day, but vote totals for a precinct, a county, or an election district may not be released before 6 p.m. on election day. Describes the process of processing, counting, and tabulating early voting absentee ballots. Requires a county election board to use the procedures relating to voting and processing of ballots by voters who vote in person at a precinct or vote center on election day, to the extent that such procedures are applicable in the context of early voting. Provides that an absentee ballot card voted during early voting may be scanned using an optical scan ballot scanner beginning 28 calendar days before election day. (Under current law, scanning may begin not earlier than seven days before election day.) Requires that a feature of a voting system that enables the retraction of a ballot must be approved before being used in an election. Provides that a voting system retraction process must be designed to minimize the possibility that the retracted votes on a voter's ballot can be linked to the identity of the voter. Relocates statutes applicable to early voting absentee ballots and mail absentee ballots. Repeals superseded statutes.