SB 869 Summary

• Modifies ballot rotation procedures for Primary and Runoff Primary Elections to rotate candidate names to the extent practicable, with exception for judicial, school, city, and town offices which are determined by lot.

• Authorizes Secretary of State Election Board to permit regular ballots to be used as absentee ballots with candidate rotation applied to extent practicable.

• Establishes procedures for handling defaced or mutilated absentee ballots that cannot be read by voting devices, including authorization for county election board members or absentee voting board members to mark substitute ballots.

• Creates new emergency absentee ballot provision for registered voters deployed as first responders within 10 days of an election to assist with declared natural disasters or emergencies.

• Modifies in-person absentee voting hours and procedures, allowing county election boards with 100,000+ registered voters to designate multiple polling places, and permits counting of absentee ballots to begin prior to election day with Secretary approval.

• Allows absentee ballot applications to be submitted by electronic communication designated by Secretary of State Election Board and permits electronic transmission of ballots to Federal Post Card Application registrants.

• Changes deadline for announcing absentee ballot results from immediately after counting to 7:00 p.m. on election day.