HB3656 Summary

• Requires county boards and election commissions to appoint 3-person vote by mail election judge panels from supplemental lists submitted by political party chairs, township committeepersons, or ward committeepersons to examine and verify vote by mail ballots.

• Establishes that signatures on vote by mail ballots are presumed to match unless all 3 judges on the panel determine they do not match, and limits ballot rejection to specific reasons: signature mismatch, opened envelope, duplicate voting, unregistered voter, or prior in-person voting.

• Allows voters whose ballots are rejected based on signature issues to submit a statement confirming they cast the ballot, making the ballot valid and countable.

• Permits voters whose ballots are rejected for opened envelopes to vote in person or request a new vote by mail ballot if they apply and cast/mail it within 14 days after the election.

• Requires election authorities to notify rejected ballot voters within 1-2 days and allow them to appear before the election authority by the 14th day after the election to contest the rejection.