- Introduced -

SB 675 - This act modifies numerous election law provisions.

The act prohibits any person from being a candidate for municipal office if such person has failed to pay municipal taxes or user fees.

The definition of electronic voting is expanded to include computerized voting systems.

In jurisdictions with a board of election commissioners, the act changes the composition of the board to add a non-voting representative from each major political party to participate in discussions of the board.

Provisions relating to the composition and party affiliation of election judges are modified. Additionally, election judges will no longer count ballots based on the voter's intent.

The act prohibits any employer from taking an adverse action against an employee based on the employee's service as an election judge.

Election authorities shall establish an early voting system.

Voter registration agencies are required to transmit all voter registration applications to the appropriate election authority within five business days.

Certain individuals are exempted from the public disclosure of their residential addresses.

The Secretary of State shall promulgate rules to allow the use of a computerized voting systems, rules to create uniform standards for ballot counting, and may develop multilingual sample ballots and instructions. The Secretary of State shall oversee elections and ensure election laws are enforced. The Secretary of State shall have subpoena power in order to determine if election law violations have occurred.

The ability to cast absentee ballots in certain situations is expanded.

Butterfly ballots shall not be used without prior approval from the Secretary of State.

Currently, it is a criminal misdemeanor to conduct certain types of activities within 25 feet of a polling place. The act changes the distance to 50 feet. The act creates an additional criminal misdemeanor for certain public employees who electioneer while wearing some object or clothing which identifies them as a public employee.

The Attorney General shall have authority to prosecute allegations of election irregularity and fraud.

The act establishes a system of provisional voting in cases where the eligibility of a voter cannot be immediately established.

Numerous matching grants of up to five million dollars are created for election authorities to upgrade and improve the voting process or equipment, and to increase the compensation of election judges to at least seven dollars per hour.

JIM ERTLE