01RS SB169

SB169

WWW Version


SB 169/LM (BR 1419) - R. Stivers

     AN ACT relating to absentee voting.
     Amend KRS 117.077 to provide that a medical emergency occurring within 14 days of an election will permit the voter or spouse to apply for an absentee ballot and provide that the medical emergency must require hospitalization or confinement ordered by a physician; amend KRS 117.085 to provide that absentee ballot application may be requested by the voter, spouse, parents, or children of the voter but shall be restricted to the use of the voter, provide that voters who change residence to a different state while the registration books are closed in the new state of residence before a presidential election may apply for an absentee ballot; provide that members of the Armed Forces, dependents of members of the Armed Forces, citizens residing overseas, students, voters who have surgery scheduled that will require hospitalization on election day and those voters' spouses, and voters who change their place of residence to a different state before a presidential election, may apply to vote absentee on a voting machine in the clerk's office; provide that staff of the county board of elections may vote absentee on a voting machine in the clerk's office, provide that the absentee ballot envelope shall provide for signatures of 2 witnesses if the voter signs the form with a mark instead of a signature; provide that a voter qualified for a mail-in ballot in a reasonable time shall obtain a second ballot, provide for record-keeping of ballots, provide that first ballot voted counts, provide that a ballot returned after the first is returned shall be marked as cancelled; amend KRS 117.086 to provide that persons having power of attorney who sign the detachable flap and outer envelope for an absentee ballot shall complete a voter assistance form; provide requirement for 2 witnesses if voter signs with a mark; provide that all voters qualified to vote prior to the election under KRS 117.085 shall vote in the clerk's office; amend KRS 117.087 to provide that persons having power of attorney who sign the detachable flap and outer envelope for an absentee ballot shall complete a voter assistance form; provide requirement for 2 witnesses if voter signs with a mark.

SB 169 - AMENDMENTS


     SCS/LM - Permit a designee of the voter, in addition to certain listed family members, to request an absentee ballot application; include in the list of persons to whom absentee ballots may be mailed those military personnel confined to a military base on election day; refine the language regarding voters who change residence to a different state while the registration books are closed in the new state of residence before a presidential election to specify that the election referenced is the election of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, and that those voters shall be permitted to cast an absentee ballot for electors for President and Vice President of the United States only; permit any deputy county clerk to vote absentee on a voting machine in the county clerk's office or other place designated by the county board of elections and approved by the State Board of Elections, up to the close of normal business hours on the day before the election; specify that the "reasonable amount of time" within which a qualified voter does not receive a mail-in ballot before he or she contacts the county clerk for a second ballot, refers to a reasonable amount of time "for postal delivery."
     HFA (1/P, A. Arnold) - Amend KRS 117.077 to provide that the application form for an absentee ballot may be requested by and delivered by the voter or spouse, parents, or children of the voter; amend KRS 117.085 to provide that a member of the armed forces, dependent, or overseas citizen need not be absent from the county on election day to vote on a voting machine, and allow staff of the State Board of Elections to vote absentee on a voting machine; amend KRS 117.086 to provide for reporting of the number of rejected absentee ballots; amend KRS 117.087 to provide that the county board of elections and county clerk shall not make public the absentee ballot results determined as provided until 6 p.m. prevailing time; amend KRS 116.045 to provide that registrations include the party affiliation of the voter with a political party, political organization, or political group, or independent status, and provide for regulations for tracking of voters identifying with political organizations and political groups, and voters of independent status; amend KRS 116.0452 to provide that if the postmark of a registration by mail is illegible or missing, that the application must be received within 5 working days after the registration books are closed; amend KRS 116.112 to provide that the State Board of Elections shall send notices of change of address to voters, provide that county board of elections may request the State Board of Elections to send address confirmation notices; amend KRS 116.113 to allow information on deaths from reliable sources other than from the Cabinet for Health Services to be used to remove a person from the voter rolls; amend KRS 116.155 to provide for listing of membership in a political party, political organization, or political group, or independent status on voter registration forms; create a new section of KRS Chapter 117 to provide definition of the "Kentucky statewide election night tally system" and provide that the county board of elections shall transmit the tally totals to the statewide election night tally system immediately upon completion of the tally, provide that the county boards of elections shall stay in session until the transmission is accomplished; create a new section of KRS Chapter 117 to provide that a county board of elections shall report to the State Board of Elections if 5% of a county's registered voters request absentee ballots, provide that the State Board of Elections may notify the State Police and the Attorney General and they may investigate for suspected absentee ballot fraud and notify the State Board of Elections of the results of an investigation if one is initiated; amend KRS 117.055 to provide that the county board of elections shall submit a written report to the State Board of Elections at least 60 days prior to the candidate filing deadline in KRS 118.165(1) on each election precinct that exceeded 700 votes cast in the last regular election, provide that the State Board of Elections shall not remit to a county the state share of election expenses if the county does not divide or make other accommodations approved by the State Board of Elections for precincts exceeding 700 votes cast in the last general election; amend KRS 117.105 to provide that the fiscal court of any county that utilized lever voting machines in any precinct for the 2000 general election shall replace those lever machines with electronic voting systems as adequate funding becomes available, and fiscal courts may use funds provided by General Assembly appropriation, state or federal grants, or other funding for the transition, and provide for adequate time for transition; amend KRS 117.355 to provide reporting requirements and provide that failure of the county board of elections to provide the reports shall result in the withholding of the state share of election expenses; amend KRS 117.375 and 117.383 to delete references to voting punch systems; amend KRS 118.015 to include definitions of "political organization" and "political group" and delete references to voting punch systems; amend 118A.010, 119.005, and 120.005 to delete references to voting punch systems; repeal KRS 118.551; provide for study by LRC of additional voting recommendations for submission to the 2002 General Assembly.
     HFA (2/Title, A. Arnold) - Make title amendment.
     HFA (3, J. Hoover) - Amend HFA 1 to SB 169/GA to provide that the State Board of Elections shall, rather than may, notify the State Police and the Attorney General's office of any reports of suspected absentee ballot fraud, and shall, rather than may, request an investigation.
     HFA (4, J. Hoover) - Amend House Floor Amendment 1 to SB 169/GA to provide that the State Police and Attorney General shall, rather than may, investigate suspected absentee ballot fraud, and the State Board of Elections shall be notified of the results of the investigation.
     HFA (5/Title, J. Hoover) - Make title amendment.
     HFA (6, J. Hoover) - Amend to change filing deadline to fourth Tuesday in March; change primary to first Tuesday after the third Monday in June, make conforming amendments.

     Feb 15-introduced in Senate
     Feb 19-to State and Local Government (S)
     Feb 27-reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute
     Feb 28-2nd reading, to Rules; posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Thursday, March 1, 2001
     Mar 1-3rd reading, passed 37-0 with Committee Substitute
     Mar 2-received in House
     Mar 5-to Elections, Const. Amendments & Intergovernmental Affairs (H); posting waived
     Mar 6-reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar; floor amendments (1) and (2-title) filed
     Mar 7-2nd reading, to Rules; floor amendments (3) (4) filed to floor amendment (1) and (5-title) and (6) filed to bill
     Mar 8-posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, March 9, 2001


Kentucky Legislature Home Page | Record Front Page