Relating to the administration of elections

This bill relates to the conduct of elections. The bill changes the filing deadline for voter registration forms that would be due on the day after Thanksgiving from the following Monday to the next day the office of the county commissioner of elections or the state commissioner of elections is open. The bill requires a county commissioner of elections to hold training for all election personnel before each election, rather than before each primary and general election. The bill prohibits a county commissioner of elections from requiring a precinct election official to attend a training that is identical to a training that the precinct election official attended within the previous 90 days. The bill requires the state commissioner of elections to adopt rules for the implementation of required instruction. The bill requires a county commissioner of elections to place on file a certification that the office of the commissioner met certain requirements within 20 days after each election. Current law requires that such certifications be filed after a general election. The bill allows the state commissioner of elections to adopt rules requiring county commissioners of elections to provide and certify additional information. The bill strikes a provision requiring a county commissioner of elections to include a copy of a certification along with an election canvass summary report when a county is not required to conduct an audit. The bill requires a county commissioner of elections to provide certain information to the state commissioner of elections not later than 10 days before an election, including the date, time, and location of equipment testing, the date and location where the election notice will be published, and the date that election personnel training will be conducted. The bill allows the state commissioner to adopt rules to require that a county commissioner provide and certify additional information. The bill requires the state commissioner of elections, in cooperation with county commissioners of elections, to conduct an unofficial canvass of election results following the closing of polls for regular city, regular school, primary, or general elections, and any other election at the discretion of the state commissioner. Current law requires an unofficial canvass only for general elections. If a county commissioner of elections determines that all precincts will not report results before the office is closed, the bill requires the county commissioner to provide a written explanation as to why. The bill requires the state commissioner to set a date by which a commissioner must complete testing of equipment used for an unofficial canvass. The bill requires a recount board to include in its written report following the conclusion of a recount a full tally and accounting of ballots reviewed by the board. The report must allow the county commissioner of elections to correct the canvass of votes in the manner required by law, if applicable. The bill requires the report to be signed by a majority of the recount board and allows the commissioner or the commissioner’s designee to assist in compiling the report. If the report is that the initial abstracts were incorrect, the bill requires the county board to reconvene no later than noon 27 days following an election if the election is for president or vice president. The bill removes a requirement that a receipt filled out by a person designated to return a voter’s completed absentee ballot include a statement regarding the time by which the person will return the ballot and the name of the political party, candidate, or committee for which the designee is acting as an actual or implied agent.33 prohibits such a person from delivering a completed absentee ballot. The bill also removes a provision allowing a voter to request that a person collecting an absentee ballot fill out a receipt.33 makes such receipts mandatory. The bill requires the county commissioner of elections to prepare a separate absentee ballot style for each precinct in the county and program the voting system to produce reports by the resident precincts of the voters for each primary election. The bill updates an internal reference regarding withdrawals of candidates for school district elections. The bill changes the meeting date for presidential electors and alternates from the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December next following the election to the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December next following the election.