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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021)
HOUSE BILL 1946 By: Munson
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to elections; amending 26 O.S. 2011,
Section 14-115.4, as last amended by Section 1,
Chapter 130, O.S.L. 2017 (26 O.S. Su pp. 2020, Section
14-115.4), which relates to in -person absentee
voting; requiring designation of voting location; and
providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2011, Section 14 -115.4, as
last amended by Section 1, Chapter 130, O.S.L. 2017 (26 O.S. Supp.
2020, Section 14-115.4), is amended to read as follows:
Section 14-115.4 A. 1. A registered voter may apply for an
in-person absentee ballot at a location designated by the secretary
of the county election board from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and
Friday immediately preceding any election and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
on Saturday immediately preceding a state or federal election. As
part of the application for an in-person absentee ballot such
registered voter shall swear or affirm that the voter has not voted
a regular mail absentee ballot and that the voter will not vote at
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the regular polling place in the election for which the in -person
absentee ballot is requested.
2. The secretary of the county election board in counties with
twenty-five thousand (25,000) or more registered voters, or with an
area in excess of one thousand five hundred (1,500) square miles,
may shall designate more than one loca tion as an in-person absentee
polling place for an election, subject to the approval of and
pursuant to the rules and procedures prescribed by the Secretary of
the State Election Board.
B. 1. The voter also shall provide proof of identity as
defined in Section 7-114 of this title. If the voter declines to or
is unable to produce proof of identity, the voter may sign a
statement under oath, in a form approved by the Secretary of the
State Election Board, swearing or affirming that the person is the
person identified on the precinct registry, and shall be allowed to
cast a provisional ballot as provided in Section 7 -116.1 of this
title.
2. False swearing or affirming under oath shall be punishable
as a felony as provided in Section 16 -103 of this title, an d the
penalty shall be distinctly set forth on the face of the statement.
C. One or more absentee voting boards shall be on duty at the
in-person absentee polling place on the days and during the hours
set forth in subsection A of this section. If the se cretary of a
county election board receives an application from a registered
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voter requesting to vote by in -person absentee ballot the secretary
shall cause to be implemented the following procedures:
1. An absentee voting board shall provide to each regi stered
voter who applies for an in -person absentee ballot appropriate
ballots and materials as may be necessary to vote;
2. The voter must sign an in -person absentee voter record, and
the signature of the voter on such record must be certified by both
members of the absentee voting board, except that the secretary of
the county election board and one other member of the absentee
voting board may certify the signature of another member of the
absentee voting board;
3. The voter must mark the ballots of the voter in the manner
provided by law in the presence of the absentee voting board, but in
such a manner as to make it impossible for any person other than the
voter to ascertain how such ballots are marked. Insofar as is
possible, the voting procedure sha ll be the same as if the voter
were casting a vote in person at a precinct;
4. The voter shall then deposit the ballot in a voting device
designated for in-person absentee voting by the secretary of the
county election board;
5. When the in-person polling place is closed on each day of
in-person absentee voting the in -person absentee voting board shall,
without obtaining a printout of results, remove the electronic
results storage media from the voting device and seal ballots
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counted that day in a transfe r case which shall be secured by the
sheriff of the county in the same manner as provided in Section 8 -
110 of this title. The electronic results storage media shall be
sealed in a container prescribed by the Secretary of the State
Election Board. The she riff shall secure the sealed electronic
results storage media container and return it to the in -person
absentee voting board no later than 7:45 a.m. on the next day of in -
person absentee voting or to the secretary of the county election
board at the time of the county election board meeting to count
absentee ballots on election day; and
6. If there is a malfunction in such a way that the electronic
results storage media used for in -person absentee voting will not
function, the sheriff is authorized to retu rn the transfer cases
containing in-person absentee ballots to the county election board
to be recounted as provided in Section 7 -134.1 of this title.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2021.
58-1-6914 LRB 12/30/20