HSB 49

Under current law, misuse of voter registration information is election misconduct in the third degree. A person who commits election misconduct in the second degree is guilty of an aggravated misdemeanor. An aggravated misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than two years and a fine of at least $625 but not more than $6,250. The bill permits the state commissioner of elections to require a written explanation from a county commissioner who has been issued a notice of technical infraction. Such an explanation must contain measures the county commissioner took to redress the issues in the notice. The bill requires a person circulating a petition for nomination to include that person’s name, signature, address, and phone number. The bill also specifies that a signature line must contain a signer’s residential address. The bill prohibits a signature line from being counted if the signature line contains a partial address or a post office box address, or if any of the required information is crossed out or redacted at the time of filing.18 (affidavit of candidacy).24 is pending. Current law requires the state commissioner to issue such a certificate at least 69 days before a primary election. _____ or withdrawn their nomination. The bill permits the state commissioner to examine election security assessments conducted or authorized by government or private entities. Such information retains its confidential status. The bill also permits the state commissioner to share information provided by a county to an appropriate government agency to safeguard against cybersecurity or physical threats and to adopt rules for minimum security standards to which county commissioners must adhere. The state commissioner may limit access to the statewide voter registration system if a county commissioner fails to meet these standards. The bill requires a county commissioner of elections to report to the state commissioner of elections when the county commissioner believes that a cybersecurity incident or data breach has occurred. The bill also requires a county commissioner to report to the state commissioner on an annual basis if the county commissioner has no reason to believe that a cybersecurity incident or data breach has occurred. The bill requires the state registrar of voters to adopt rules regarding access to the statewide voter registration system and training requirements, technology safeguards, and breach incident response requirements. on the day registration closes for an election. The bill changes the time frame for the state commissioner of elections to send an acknowledgment of receipt of a voter registration form or change of information, if that form was submitted within 14 days of a regularly scheduled election, from within 7 days to within 48 hours.14. The bill allows the state commissioner of elections to prescribe, and county commissioners of elections to place on ballots, uniform abbreviations for political parties and organizations. The bill allows abbreviations for the names of political parties and organizations to be used on the remainder of the ballot if the full name and abbreviation appear in the voter instruction portion of the ballot. The bill allows the state commissioner of elections to adopt rules to establish pilot programs related to post-election audits. The bill requires the state commissioner of elections to adopt rules for the implementation of the absentee voting system. The bill moves the first day to mail absentee ballots to the first business day on which mail delivery is available following the 29th day before an election in the event that the United States post office is closed and not delivering mail on the 29th day before an election. The bill takes effect upon enactment.