SENATE BILL NO. 443
INTRODUCED BY SQUIRES
AN ACT REVISING THE TIMES AT WHICH THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR MUST MAIL ADDRESS CONFIRMATION FORMS TO ELECTORS WHO HAVE REQUESTED ABSENTEE BALLOTS FOR FUTURE ELECTIONS; AMENDING SECTION 13-13-212, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN APPLICABILITY DATE.
AN ACT REVISING THE TIMES AT WHICH THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR MUST MAIL ADDRESS CONFIRMATION FORMS TO ELECTORS WHO HAVE REQUESTED ABSENTEE BALLOTS FOR FUTURE ELECTIONS; AMENDING SECTION 13-13-212, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN APPLICABILITY DATE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Section 13-13-212, MCA, is amended to read:
"13-13-212. Application for absentee ballot -- special provisions. (1) An elector may apply for an absentee ballot by using a standardized form provided by rule by the secretary of state or by making a written request, which must include the applicant's birth date and must be signed by the applicant. The request must be submitted to the election administrator of the applicant's county of residence within the time period specified in 13-13-211.
(2) (a) If an elector requests an absentee ballot because of a sudden illness or health emergency, the application for an absentee ballot may be made by written request signed by the elector at the time that the ballot is delivered in person by the special absentee election board provided for in 13-13-225.
(b) The elector may request by telephone, facsimile transmission, or other means to have a ballot and application personally delivered by the special absentee election board at the elector's place of confinement, hospitalization, or residence within the county.
(c) A request under this subsection (2) must be received by the election administrator within the time period specified in 13-13-211(2).
(3) An elector who has made a request for an absentee ballot by one of the methods provided in this section may, in the event of the death of a candidate after the primary election but before the general election, make a request for a replacement ballot. The request for a replacement ballot may be made orally to the election administrator.
(4) (a) When applying for an absentee ballot under this section, an elector may also request to be mailed an absentee ballot, as soon as the ballot becomes available, for each subsequent election in which the elector is eligible to vote or only for each subsequent federal election in which the elector is eligible to vote for as long as the elector remains qualified to vote and resides at the address provided in the initial application.
(b) The election administrator shall mail an address confirmation form at least 75 days before the election to each elector who has requested an absentee ballot for subsequent elections in January and July of each year to each elector who has requested an absentee ballot for subsequent elections. The address confirmation form mailed in January is for elections to be held between February 1 following the mailing through July of the same year and the address confirmation form mailed in July is for elections to be held between August 1 following the mailing through January of the succeeding year. The elector shall sign the form, indicate the address to which the absentee ballot should be sent, and return the form to the election administrator. If the form is not completed and returned, the election administrator shall remove the elector from the register of electors who have requested an absentee ballot for each subsequent election.
(c) An elector who has been removed from the register may subsequently request to be mailed an absentee ballot for each subsequent election."
Section 2. Applicability. [This act] applies to address confirmation forms to be mailed after December 31, 2007.
- END -
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