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H0621aa....................................................by STATE AFFAIRS
VOTE BY MAIL - RURAL PRECINCTS - Adds to existing law to authorize the
creation of rural, remote precincts with a population of 100 or fewer
people, where elections shall be conducted by mail.
02/05 House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/06 Rpt prt - to St Aff
02/16 Rpt out - to Gen Ord
02/18 Rpt out amen - to engros
02/19 Rpt engros - 1st rdg - to 2nd rdg as amen
02/20 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg as amen
02/24 3rd rdg as amen - FAILED - 32-34-4
AYES -- Bell, Bieter, Bivens, Black(15), Boe, Callister, Chase, Deal,
Field(13), Gagner, Hansen, Henbest, Hornbeck, Jaquet, Jones(9),
Jones(22), Jones(20), Judd, Kjellander, Lake, Marley, Meyer, Miller,
Pischner, Pomeroy, Ridinger, Robison, Stoicheff, Stone, Trail,
Watson, Zimmermann
NAYS -- Alltus, Barraclough, Barrett, Black(23), Bruneel, Campbell,
Clark, Crane, Crow, Denney, Ellsworth, Field(20), Hadley, Kellogg,
Kempton, Kendell, Kunz, Linford, Loertscher, Mader, McKague,
Mortensen, Reynolds, Richman, Sali, Schaefer, Stevenson, Stubbs,
Taylor, Tilman, Tippets, Wheeler, Wood, Mr Speaker
Absent and excused -- Cuddy, Geddes, Gould, Newcomb
Floor Sponsors - Jaquet, Hornbeck
Filed with Chief Clerk
H0621|||| LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO |||| Fifty-fourth Legislature Second Regular Session - 1998IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HOUSE BILL NO. 621, As Amended BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE 1 AN ACT 2 RELATING TO ELECTIONS; AMENDING CHAPTER 3, TITLE 34, IDAHO CODE, BY THE ADDI- 3 TION OF A NEW SECTION 34-307, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE FOR DESIGNATION OF 4 RURAL, REMOTE PRECINCTS AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS WITHIN 5 RURAL, REMOTE PRECINCTS; DECLARING AND EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING RETROACTIVE 6 APPLICATION. 7 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho: 8 SECTION 1. That Chapter 3, Title 34, Idaho Code, be, and the same is 9 hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION , to be 10 known and designated as Section 34-307, Idaho Code, and to read as follows: 11 34-307. RURAL, REMOTE PRECINCT. A precinct within the county which con- 12 tains no more than one hundred (100) registered electors may be designated a 13 rural, remote precinct no later than April 1 in an even-numbered year. The 14 board of county commissioners may make such a designation when petitioned by 15 more than fifty percent (50%) of the registered electors in the precinct. Such 16 a designation shall apply thereafter to all elections conducted within the 17 precinct until revoked by the commission. Having designated a rural, remote 18 precinct, there shall be no voting place established within the precinct. 19 Elections in a rural, remote precinct shall be conducted in a manner consis- 20 tent with absentee voting with the following special provisions: 21 (1) The clerk shall issue a ballot, by mail, to every registered voter in 22 a rural, remote precinct, and shall affix to the return envelope, postage suf- 23 ficient to return the ballot. 24 (2) The ballot shall be mailed no sooner than twenty-four (24) days prior 25 to the election day and no later than the fourteenth day prior to the elec- 26 tion. 27 (3) The clerk shall make necessary provisions to segregate rural, remote 28 precinct ballots by precinct, and for all purposes of the election, the pre- 29 cinct integrity shall be maintained. 30 (4) The clerk shall provide that the signature on the affidavit on the 31 back of the return envelope be compared with the signature on the registration 32 card of the elector, and only if it appears to be valid shall the ballot be 33 counted. 34 (5) The clerk shall make available in the office of the clerk, registra- 35 tion on election day for any individual who is eligible to vote and who 36 resides in a rural, remote precinct and has not previously registered. The 37 clerk shall provide an official polling place in the office of the clerk and a 38 qualified elector who registers on election day and resides in a rural, remote 39 precinct shall be allowed to vote at the office of the clerk. 40 SECTION 2. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby 41 declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its 42 passage and approval, and, in the event that passage and approval occurs after 2 1 March 31, 1998, this act shall be effective retroactively to March 31, 1998.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS 07756
This legislation creates a rural, remote precinct at the option
of the county clerk. Rural, remote precincts may contain no more
than 225 registered electors. Elections conducted in the
precincts designated rural, remote will be consistent with
absentee voting with the following special provisions:
1.) Each registered voter in the rural remote precinct will be
issued a ballot by the clerk with a return envelope,postage
paid.
2.) The ballot will be mailed no sooner than 24 days prior to
the
election and no later than the 14th day prior to the election.
3.) Precinct integrity will be maintained by segregating the
ballots received.
4.) Same day registration and voting will be provided in the
office of the clerk.
FISCAL NOTE
Staff savings for 22 rural, remote precincts will be
realized. For instance, there are voters in the Joseph
precinct with 3 - 4 staffers. In addition, it is becoming
more difficult to locate people who will work at the polls.
And finally, the expense of renting mobile homes as polling
places, in Idaho County, for example will be saved.CONTACT: Representative Wendy
Jaquet 208: 332-1130
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE
Bill No. H 621