Return of absentee ballots, submittal of proof of identification with absentee ballot applications, and voting in person by electors who have voted by absentee ballot in the same election

If a municipality elects to canvass its absentee ballots centrally using a board of absentee ballot canvassers, the board of absentee ballot canvassers marks a separate poll list containing the names of the qualified electors of the municipality to indicate the electors who have cast absentee ballots. The municipal board of canvassers is then required to reconcile the poll list marked at each polling place with the poll list marked by the board of absentee ballot canvassers to ensure that no person is permitted to vote more than once. If the municipal board of canvassers finds that an elector who has voted in person has also cast an absentee ballot, the absentee ballot is void.

This bill provides that if an elector mails or personally delivers an absentee ballot to the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners, the clerk or board shall not return the ballot to the elector. The bill also provides that an elector who mails or personally delivers an absentee ballot to the municipal clerk or board of election commissioners at an election is not permitted to vote in person at the same election on election day.

Currently, if a municipal clerk or board of election commissioners receives an absentee ballot with an improperly completed certificate or with no certificate, the clerk or board may return the ballot to the elector, inside the sealed envelope when an envelope is received, together with a new envelope if necessary, whenever time permits the elector to correct the defect and mail the ballot back to the clerk or board by election day. This bill deletes this provision.

Currently, with certain exceptions, an individual who votes in an election must present proof of identification in order to vote. The proof may consist of a number of documents specified by law and must contain certain information specified by law.

An individual who votes by absentee ballot to whom the requirement applies must generally enclose a copy of his or her proof of identification with his or her absentee ballot application. However, if the individual requests an absentee ballot by electronic mail or facsimile transmission, the individual instead provides a copy of his or her proof of identification with his or her absentee ballot. This bill deletes the procedure under which a copy of an individual's proof of identification is provided with the individual's absentee ballot rather than with the individual's absentee ballot application, thus requiring every individual to whom the identification requirement applies to enclose a copy of his or her proof of identification with the individual's absentee ballot application.