FIRST REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 537
91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR STOLL.
Read 1st time February 21, 2001, and 1,000 copies ordered printed.
TERRY L. SPIELER, Secretary.
1475S.02I
AN ACT
To repeal sections 115.277 and 115.283, RSMo 2000, relating to absentee voting, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections relating to the same subject.
Section A. Sections 115.277 and 115.283, RSMo 2000, are repealed and two new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 115.277 and 115.283, to read as follows:
115.277. 1. Except as provided in subsections 3, 4 and 5 of this section, any registered voter of this state may vote by absentee ballot for all candidates and issues for which such voter would be eligible to vote at the polling place if such voter expects to be prevented from going to the polls to vote on election day due to:
(1) Absence on election day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which such voter is registered to vote;
(2) Incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability, or responsibility to serve as the sole caretaker for such person;
(3) Religious belief or practice;
(4) Employment as an election authority, as a member of an election authority, or by an election authority at a location other than such voter's polling place;
(5) Incarceration, provided all qualifications for voting are retained.
2. Any person in federal service, as defined in section 115.275, who is eligible to register and vote in any election in this state may vote in the election even if the person is not registered. Each person in federal service may vote by absentee ballot or, upon submitting an affidavit that the person is qualified to vote in the election, may vote at the person's polling place.
3. Any interstate former resident, as defined in section 115.275, may vote by absentee ballot for presidential and vice presidential electors.
4. Any intrastate new resident, as defined in section 115.275, may vote by absentee ballot at the election for presidential and vice presidential electors, United States senator, representative in Congress, statewide elected officials and statewide questions, propositions and amendments from such resident's new jurisdiction of residence after registering to vote in such resident's new jurisdiction of residence.
5. Any new resident, as defined in section 115.275, may vote by absentee ballot for presidential and vice presidential electors after registering to vote in such resident's new jurisdiction of residence.
115.283. 1. Each ballot envelope shall bear a statement on which the voter shall state the voter's name, the voter's voting address, the voter's mailing address and the voter's reason for voting an absentee ballot. On the form, the voter shall also state, under penalties of perjury that the voter is qualified to vote in the election, that the voter has not previously voted and will not vote again in the election, that the voter has personally marked the voter's ballot in secret or supervised the marking of the voter's ballot if the voter is unable to mark it, that the ballot has been placed in the ballot envelope and sealed by the voter or under the voter's supervision if the voter is unable to seal it, and that all information contained in the statement is true. In addition, any person providing assistance to the absentee voter shall include a statement on the envelope identifying the person providing assistance under penalties of perjury. Persons authorized to vote only for federal and statewide officers shall also state their former Missouri residence.
2. The statement for persons voting absentee ballots who are registered voters shall be in substantially the following form:
State of Missouri
County (City) of ....................................
I, .............................................. (print name), a registered voter of .......................... County (City of St. Louis, Kansas City), declare under the penalties of perjury that I expect to be prevented from going to the polls on election day due to (check one):
........ absence on election day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which I am registered;
........ incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability, or responsibility to serve as sole caretaker for such person;
........ religious belief or practice;
........ employment as an election authority or by an election authority at a location other than my polling place;
........ incarceration, although I have retained all the necessary qualifications for voting.
I hereby state under penalties of perjury that I am qualified to vote at this election; I have not voted and will not vote other than by this ballot at this election. I further state that I marked the enclosed ballot in secret or that I am blind, unable to read or write English, or physically incapable of marking the ballot, and the person of my choosing indicated below marked the ballot at my direction; all of the information on this statement is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, true.
............................... ...............................
Signature of Voter Signature of Person
Assisting Voter
(if applicable)
.............................. Subscribed and sworn to
.............................. before me this ...... day
Address of Voter of .........., ...........
.............................. ...............................
.............................. ...............................
Mailing addresses Signature of notary or
(if different) other officer authorized
to administer oaths
(if applicable)
3. The statement for persons voting absentee ballots pursuant to the provisions of subsection 2, 3, 4 or 5 of section 115.277 without being registered shall be in substantially the following form:
State of Missouri
County (City) of........................
I, ............................ (print name), declare under the penalties of perjury that I am a citizen of the United States and eighteen years of age or older. I am not adjudged incapacitated by any court of law, and if I have been convicted of a felony or of a misdemeanor connected with the right of suffrage, I have had the voting disabilities resulting from such conviction removed pursuant to law. I hereby state under penalties of perjury that I am qualified to vote at this election.
(1) I am a resident of the state of Missouri and (check one):
........ am a member of the U.S. armed forces in active service;
........ am an active member of the U.S. merchant marine;
........ am a civilian employee of the U.S. government working outside the United States;
........ am an active member of a religious or welfare organization assisting servicemen;
........ have been honorably discharged or terminated my service in one of the groups mentioned above within sixty days of this election;
........ am a spouse or dependent of one of the above;
........ am a registered voter in .............. County and moved from that county to .................. County, Missouri, after the last day to register to vote in this election.
OR (check if applicable)
(2) ..................... I am an interstate former resident of Missouri and authorized to vote for presidential and vice presidential electors. I further state under penalties of perjury that I have not voted and will not vote other than by this ballot at this election; I marked the enclosed ballot in secret or am blind, unable to read or write English, or physically incapable of marking the ballot, and the person of my choosing indicated below marked the ballot at my direction; all of the information on this statement is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, true.
............................... Subscribed to and sworn
Signature of Voter before me this ...... day
of ............, ............
...............................
............................... ......................................
Address of Voter Signature of notary or
other officer authorized
to administer oaths
............................... (if applicable)
...............................
Mailing Address
(if different) ..........................
............................... ..........................
Signature of Person Address of Last Missouri
Assisting Voter Residence
(if applicable)
4. The statement for persons voting absentee ballots who are entitled to vote at the election pursuant to the provisions of subsection 2 of section 115.137 shall be in substantially the following form:
State of Missouri
County (City) of .....................
I, ....................................... (print name), declare under the penalties of perjury that I expect to be prevented from going to the polls on election day due to (check one):
........ absence on election day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which I am directed to vote;
........ incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability;
........ religious belief or practice;
........ employment as an election authority or by an election authority at a location other than my polling place;
........ incarceration, although I have retained all the necessary qualifications of voting.
I hereby state under penalties of perjury that I own property in the ...................... district and am qualified to vote at this election; I have not voted and will not vote other than by this ballot at this election. I further state that I marked the enclosed ballot in secret or that I am blind, unable to read and write English, or physically incapable of marking the ballot, and the person of my choosing indicated below marked the ballot at my direction; all of the information on this statement is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, true.
............................... Subscribed and sworn to
Signature of Voter before me this .......... day
of ..........., .............
...............................
............................... .................................
Address Signature of notary or
other officer authorized
to administer oaths
............................... (if applicable)
Signature of Person
Assisting Voter
(if applicable)
5. The statement for persons providing assistance to absentee voters shall be in substantially the following form:
The voter needed assistance in marking the ballot and signing above, because of blindness, other physical disability, or inability to read or to read English. I marked the ballot enclosed in this envelope at the voter's direction, when I was alone with the voter, and I had no other communication with the voter as to how he or she was to vote. The voter swore or affirmed the voter affidavit above and I then signed the voter's name and completed the other voter information above. Signed under the penalties of perjury.
Reason why voter needed assistance: ............................
ASSISTING PERSON SIGN HERE
1. ...................... (signature of assisting person)
2. ...................... (assisting person's name printed)
3. ...................... (assisting person's residence)
4. ...................... (assisting person's home city or town).
6. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, any resident of the state of Missouri who resides outside the boundaries of the United States or who is on active duty with the armed forces of the United States or members of their immediate family living with them or persons who have declared themselves to be permanently disabled pursuant to section 115.284, otherwise entitled to vote, shall not be required to obtain a notary seal or signature on his or her absentee ballot.
7. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or section 115.291 to the contrary, [the subscription, signature and seal of a notary or other officer authorized to administer oaths] a notary seal or signature shall not be required on any ballot, ballot envelope, or statement required by this section if the reason for the voter voting absentee is because of incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability or responsibility to serve as sole caretaker for such person.