HOUSE BILL NO. 402

2008 Legislation

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HOUSE BILL NO. 402<br /> – Vote by mail precincts, designation

View Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact

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Bill Status


H0402......................................................by STATE AFFAIRS
VOTE BY MAIL PRECINCTS - Amends existing law to provide that any precinct
may be designated by the board of county commissioners as a vote by mail
precinct; and to allow other voting places within a precinct.

01/24    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
01/25    Rpt prt - to St Aff

Bill Text




                                                                       
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-ninth Legislature                   Second Regular Session - 2008

                                                                       

                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                                     HOUSE BILL NO. 402

                                 BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO ELECTIONS; AMENDING SECTION 34-308, IDAHO CODE,  TO  PROVIDE  THAT
  3        ANY  PRECINCT  MAY BE DESIGNATED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AS A
  4        VOTE BY MAIL PRECINCT AND TO ALLOW OTHER VOTING PLACES WITHIN A PRECINCT.

  5    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

  6        SECTION 1.  That Section 34-308, Idaho Code, be, and the  same  is  hereby
  7    amended to read as follows:

  8        34-308.  MAIL  BALLOT  PRECINCT. Any precinct within the county which con-
  9    tains no more than one hundred twenty-five (125) registered  electors  at  the
 10    last  general election, may be designated by the board of county commissioners
 11    a mail ballot precinct no later than April 1 in an even-numbered year. Such  a
 12    designation  shall apply thereafter to all elections conducted within the pre-
 13    cinct until revoked by the board of county commissioners. Having designated  a
 14    mail  ballot  precinct,  there  shall be no may be a  voting place established
 15    within the precinct, at the discretion of the board of  county  commissioners.
 16    Elections  in a mail ballot precinct shall be conducted in a manner consistent
 17    with absentee voting with the following special provisions.
 18        (1)  The clerk shall issue a ballot, by mail, to every registered voter in
 19    a mail ballot precinct, and shall affix to the return envelope, postage suffi-
 20    cient to return the ballot.
 21        (2)  The ballot shall be mailed no sooner than twenty-four (24) days prior
 22    to the election day and no later than the fourteenth day prior  to  the  elec-
 23    tion.
 24        (3)  The  clerk  shall  make necessary provisions to segregate mail ballot
 25    precinct ballots by precinct, and for all purposes of the election,  the  pre-
 26    cinct integrity shall be maintained.
 27        (4)  The  clerk shall make available in the office of the clerk, registra-
 28    tion on election day for any individual  who  is  eligible  to  vote  and  who
 29    resides in a mail ballot precinct and has not previously registered. The clerk
 30    shall provide an official polling place in the office of the clerk and a qual-
 31    ified  elector who registers on election day and resides in a mail ballot pre-
 32    cinct shall be allowed to vote at the office of the clerk.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


                     STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                               
                           RS 17382
                               
This bill removes the population limitations on "vote by mail"
precincts.

County clerks are having trouble finding poll workers and legal
locations for voting places. In addition, the need to maintain
electronic voter assistance devices in all voting places is
expensive. Finally, rapid growth in some areas has caused the
numbers voting to exceed the capacity of the voting place and poll
workers, causing long waits and frustration among the electors.
Currently, county commissioners may designate any precinct as a
"mail ballot precinct" if there are less than 125 registered
electors.

This bill would allow county clerks and commissioners to use an
existing tool, designation of a precinct as "mail ballot precinct",
to address these issues when necessary. It also allows a voting
center within the precinct if desired.


                        FISCAL IMPACT
None.



Contact
Name:   Rep. John Rusche
Phone:  332 1154


                                                       
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                          H 402