An Act To Facilitate Voting by Uniformed Service and Overseas Voters
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §753-A, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2009, c. 253, §47, is further amended to read:
If the clerk opts to accept absentee ballot applications by electronic means, a A voter may make an application for the voter's own ballot by electronic means using the form designed or approved by the Secretary of State. The voter may not designate an immediate family member or a 3rd person to deliver the ballot on the voter's behalf. The clerk shall verify that it is the voter who is requesting the ballot by confirming the voter's residence address and birth date with the information in the voter's record. The clerk shall print the electronically submitted application and write "electronic request" on the application.
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §753-B, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2007, c. 455, §41, is further amended to read:
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §777-A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 407, §28, is amended to read:
§ 777-A. Registration and enrollment
Uniformed service voters or overseas voters may register or enroll at any time by completing a federal or state voter registration application form and filing it with the registrar or the Secretary of State in person, by mail or by electronic means authorized by the Secretary of State.
Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA §778, as amended by PL 2005, c. 453, §§60 and 61, is further amended to read:
§ 778. Duty of registrar
On receipt of an application under section 777-A, the registrar or the Secretary of State in consultation with the registrar shall register the applicant, unless it appears that the applicant is not qualified. If the applicant is not qualified, the registrar or the Secretary of State shall notify the applicant of the reason for rejection of the application.
Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §780, as repealed and replaced by PL 2003, c. 407, §31, is amended to read:
§ 780. Absentee ballots; application
A uniformed service voter or an overseas voter may request an absentee ballot as provided in section 753-A or by submitting a federal application or form requesting an absentee ballot as provided in section 783. With respect to any election for federal office, a clerk or the Secretary of State may not refuse to accept or process any otherwise valid voter registration application or absentee ballot application 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 will be used. An application or request for an absentee ballot for a uniformed service voter or overseas voter that is accepted pursuant to section 753-A or section 783 remains valid through the next 2 regularly scheduled general elections for federal office for 2 years from the date of receipt of the application and entitles the voter to receive absentee ballots for all federal and state elections during that period.
Sec. 6. 21-A MRSA §780-A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 407, §32, is amended to read:
§ 780-A. Use of blank write-in absentee ballot
Prior to the time when regular absentee ballots are available, if an applicant requests a blank 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 Secretary of State shall send a blank write-in absentee ballot to the voter or shall transmit the regular absentee ballot by an authorized electronic means if the voter has designated that the voter wishes to receive that ballot by that means. 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.
Sec. 7. 21-A MRSA §781-A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 407, §34, is amended to read:
§ 781-A. Absentee ballot application; procedure on receipt
Upon receipt of an application , or written request or telephone application for an absentee ballot that is accepted pursuant to section 753-A or section 783, the clerk or the Secretary of State shall immediately issue an absentee ballot and return envelope by mail or in person to the applicant or to the immediate family member or to a 3rd person designated in a written application or request made by the voter the authorized means designated by the voter in the application. The If the ballot is to be transmitted to the voter by mail, the clerk or the Secretary of State shall type or write in ink the name and the residence address of the voter in the designated section of the return envelope. The Secretary of State shall provide a return envelope which that moves free of postage under federal law.
Sec. 8. 21-A MRSA §782, as amended by PL 2003, c. 407, §35, is further amended to read:
§ 782. Absentee ballots; procedure on return
On receipt of a return envelope apparently containing an absentee ballot, the clerk or the Secretary of State shall follow the procedures for regular absentee voting under this subchapter.
Sec. 9. 21-A MRSA §783, as amended by PL 2003, c. 407, §35, is further amended to read:
§ 783. Authority of Secretary of State
The Secretary of State may act administratively to facilitate voting by uniformed service voters and overseas voters . The Secretary of State and may use federal or other facilities available for this purpose. These administrative actions may include, but are not limited to:
summary
This bill allows voters from all municipalities in the State to request absentee ballots using the Secretary of State's online absentee ballot request service. The bill also allows the Secretary of State to facilitate voting by uniformed service and overseas voters by allowing central issuance, receipt and counting of the absentee ballots of these voters and electronic transmission of absentee ballots to and receipt of absentee ballots from these voters.