S.F. No. 2622 Summary

• Establishes mandatory ballot boards in each county, municipality, and school district to process and accept/reject absentee ballots, consisting of trained election judges appointed per state law

• Permits absentee ballots to be counted beginning four days before election day instead of waiting until election day, with ballots opened and counted after close of business on the fourth day prior to the election

• Requires statewide voter registration system to record absentee ballot applications, transmissions, acceptances, and rejections with bar codes on envelope labels to track ballot status

• Modifies absentee ballot return envelope design and certification requirements to include voter identification numbers and witness statements about ballot marking and voter registration status

• Mandates Secretary of State to report absentee voting statistics by county and precinct to legislature by March 1, 2011, and January 15 of every odd-numbered year thereafter, categorized by ballots transmitted, returned, rejected, and reasons for rejection