Authorization for municipalities to establish satellite stations for purposes of conducting voter registration and absentee voting and granting rule-making authority

Current law permits any qualified elector who for any reason is unable or unwilling to appear at his or her polling place to vote by absentee ballot. With certain exceptions, the elector must apply for and obtain an absentee ballot from the appropriate municipal clerk or board of election commissioners by 5 p.m. on the day before the election. The elector may cast the absentee ballot either by mail or in person at the office of the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners of the municipality where the elector resides or, by municipal option at a single alternate site. If an elector applies for an absentee ballot in person, the elector casts the absentee ballot at the same time that he or she applies for the ballot. Current law also contains a special procedure that permits certain residents of nursing or retirement homes or community-based residential facilities to apply for and obtain an absentee ballot from two special voting deputies who are appointed by the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners and who personally visit the home or facility. These electors give their absentee ballots directly to the special voting deputies, who then deliver the ballots to the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners. Currently, a qualified elector who is not registered may register to vote at an election by mail or through a special registration deputy no later than the 20th day before the election. A qualified elector may also register at the office of the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners in the municipality where the elector resides no later than the day before the election.

With certain limited exceptions, this bill authorizes the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners of any municipality to designate any location as a temporary, satellite station for absentee voting by electors of the municipality. The location may be inside a building or outdoors and need not be contained in a room separated from other activities. The bill permits any qualified elector of a municipality to obtain and cast an absentee ballot at a satellite station. A satellite station may be open for absentee voting at any time, but only during the period beginning on the date that the official absentee ballots become available for distribution and ending at 5 p.m. on the day before the election.

Under the bill, a satellite station must be staffed by at least one special voting deputy who is appointed on a nonpartisan basis by the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners. The bill permits any qualified elector of the state to be appointed as a special voting deputy. The bill specifies certain minimum qualifications for the special voting deputy. The municipal clerk or board of election commissioners must instruct the special voting deputy in his or her duties. The bill requires all individuals who serve as special voting deputies to meet certain training requirements. The special voting deputy may be compensated at the option of the municipality. The special voting deputy is required to supervise the proceedings at the satellite station to which he or she is assigned and to enforce certain election laws that apply to the satellite station. The special voting deputy is under the supervision of the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners. Under the bill, a special voting deputy is a public officer and must file an oath of office.

The bill also requires the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners to appoint at least one special registration deputy to staff each satellite station. The bill specifies certain minimum qualifications for the special registration deputy and requires all individuals who serve as deputies to meet certain training requirements.

The special registration deputy may be compensated at the option of the municipality. The bill permits an elector to register at any satellite station at any time during which the station is open for absentee voting. With certain limited exceptions, the elector must follow the registration procedure that would otherwise apply to the elector under current law.

The bill applies certain provisions of current law relating to the operation of polling places to a satellite station established under the bill. For example, the bill requires a satellite station to meet current standards with regard to the accessibility of polling places and requires the posting of information at a satellite station that is generally the same as the information required to be posted at a polling place.

However, whereas current law prohibits electioneering on public property within 100 feet of the entrance to a polling place, this bill generally prohibits electioneering in any building in which a satellite station is located at any time during which the satellite station is open. Also, if a satellite station is located outside of a building, the bill generally prohibits electioneering within 100 feet of the satellite station at any time during which the satellite station is open. The restriction does not apply on private property that is not owned or controlled by the same person as the property where the satellite station is located and does not apply to bumper stickers.