SB 966

Under current law, absentee ballot envelopes include a printed certificate that

must be completed, signed by the voter and a qualified witness, and returned to the

municipal clerk with the completed ballot so that it is delivered to the polling place

no later than 8 p.m. on election day. The witness certificate includes the witness's

printed name and address in addition to his or her signature. If a municipal clerk

receives an absentee ballot with an improperly completed certificate, the clerk may,

but is not required to, return the ballot to the voter whenever time permits so that

the voter may correct the defect. If a certificate is missing the address of the witness,

the ballot may not be counted.

Under this bill, an absentee ballot that is returned with a witness certification

that does not include all of the following may not be counted:

1. The witness's printed first name.

2. The witness's printed last name.

3. The witness's house or apartment number.

4. The witness's street name.

5. The witness's municipality.

6. The witness's state.

7. The witness's zip code.

The bill further prohibits any person other than the voter, or the witness with

respect to the witness certificate, from correcting a defect in the voter's absentee

ballot certificate. Whoever violates this prohibition is subject to a fine not to exceed

$500 or imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, or both.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime,

the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a

report.