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valid voter registration application or absentee ballot application | | request submitted by a uniformed service voter or an overseas voter | on the grounds that the voter submitted the application | more than 3 months before the election for which the application | request will be used. An | | absentee ballot for a uniformed service voter or overseas voter | that is accepted pursuant to section 753-A | | the next 2 regularly scheduled general elections for federal office | | and entitles the voter to receive absentee ballots for all | | elections during that period. |
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| | | Sec. 16. 21-A MRSA §780-A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 407, §32, is | | amended to read: |
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| | | §780-A. Use of blank write-in absentee ballot |
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| | | Prior to the time when regular absentee ballots are available | or sent to voters, if an applicant | | write-in absentee ballot or indicates that it takes more than 6 | weeks to receive and return mail to the applicant's | | location, the clerk shall send a blank write-in absentee ballot | | to the voter. Once the regular absentee ballots become | | available, the clerk shall issue a regular absentee ballot in | | response to any request under this section. If the clerk has | | issued a blank write-in absentee ballot to a voter before the | | regular absentee ballots become available, the clerk may send a | | regular absentee ballot to the voter, following the procedures | | for issuing a 2nd absentee ballot under section 753-B. |
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| | | Sec. 17. 21-A MRSA §781-A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 407, §34, is | | repealed. |
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| | | Sec. 18. 21-A MRSA §791, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1999, c. 645, §12, | | is repealed and the following enacted in its place: |
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| | | 1.__Class E crime.__A municipal clerk commits a Class E crime | | if that clerk, when a person has voted by absentee ballot in the | | clerk's presence under section 753-B, subsection 8, signs the | | clerk's name to an affidavit on the absentee ballot return | | envelope and the affidavit is not properly completed. |
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| | | This bill amends the current absentee voting system to enhance | | voting by mail as follows: |
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| | | 1. It repeals the application process for absentee voting; |
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