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28	28	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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30	30	1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
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32	32	HOUSE BILL 2782 By: Munson
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38	38	AS INTRODUCED
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40	40	An Act relating to elections; amending 26 O.S. 2021,
41	41	Section 14-105, as amended by Section s 1, Chapter
42	42	292, O.S.L. 2022, 14-110.1, as amended by Section 2,
43	43	Chapter 292, O.S.L. 2022 and 14-115, as amended by
44	44	Section 1, Chapter 305, O.S.L. 2022 (26 O.S. Supp.
45	45	2022, Sections 14-105, 14-110.1 and 14-115), which
46	46	relate to absentee ballot applications; modifying
47	47	methods of application; modif ying procedures for
48	48	application; providing for period of validity;
49	49	providing for cancellation under certain
50	50	circumstances; providing exception; providing for
51	51	validity of absentee ballot application for certain
52	52	period; and providing an effective date.
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58	58	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKL AHOMA:
59	59	SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, Section 14 -105, as
60	60	amended by Section 1, Chapter 292, O.S.L. 2022 (26 O.S. Supp. 2022,
61	61	Section 14-105), is amended to read as follows:
62	62	Section 14-105. A. Any registered voter may apply for an
63	63	absentee ballot in person at the county election board, by United
64	64	States mail, by facsimile device as defined in Sec tion 1862 of Title
65	65	21 of the Oklahoma Statutes o r by a means of electronic
66	66	communication designated by the Secretary of the State Election
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93	93	Board. The Secretary of the State Election Board shall prescribe a
94	94	form to be used for the application, although any application
95	95	setting forth substantially the sam e facts shall be valid.
96	96	B. 1. A registered voter applying for an absentee ballot by
97	97	means of electronic communication shall provide his or her name,
98	98	birth date, an identification number, and other information as may
99	99	be prescribed by the Secretary of the S tate Election Board. The
100	100	name, birth date, and identification number provided on the
101	101	application must match the name, birth date, and identification
102	102	number in the voter registration record in order to apply for an
103	103	absentee ballot pursuant to this subsection .
104	104	2. If the voter does not recal l which identificatio n number he
105	105	or she included in the voter registration record, the voter may
106	106	provide multiple identification numbers, at least one of which must
107	107	match the identification number in the voter registration record if
108	108	such record included an identification numbe r. If the name, birth
109	109	date, or any identification number provided does not match the voter
110	110	registration record, the voter shall be informed of the failure to
111	111	match the voter registration rec ord and shall be provided
112	112	information and instruction to contact the county election board.
113	113	3. If the voter registration record on file with the county
114	114	election board does not contain a birth date or identification
115	115	number, the voter shall not be eligible to apply for an absentee
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142	142	ballot by means of electronic communicat ion but may apply for an
143	143	absentee ballot pursuant to subsection C of this section.
144	144	4. Identifying information such as birth date and
145	145	identification number shall not be modified online in an existing
146	146	voter registration except as provided in Section 4-109.4 of this
147	147	title.
148	148	5. No later than January 1, 2023, a registered voter applying
149	149	for an absentee ballot pursuant to this subsection who meets the
150	150	criteria provided in Section 7-115.1 of this title shall be required
151	151	to confirm his or her address prior to submitting an application for
152	152	absentee ballot by means of electronic communi cation.
153	153	C. 1. A registered voter applying for an absentee ballot in
154	154	person, by United States mail, or by facsimile device shall provide
155	155	his or her name, birth date, an identification number, and other
156	156	information as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the S tate
157	157	Election Board. The name, birth date, and identification number
158	158	provided on the application must match the name, birth date, and
159	159	identification number in the voter registration record.
160	160	2. If the voter does not recall which identification number he
161	161	or she included in the voter registration record, the voter may
162	162	provide multiple identification numbers, at least one of which must
163	163	match the identification number in the voter registration record if
164	164	such record included an identification number. If the voter
165	165	registration record does not contain a birth date or an
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192	192	identification number, the absentee ballot application shall be
193	193	accepted without a match of a birth date or an identification
194	194	number.
195	195	D. For purposes of this section, "identification number" means
196	196	a number submitted on the regist ration application p ursuant to
197	197	paragraph 3 of subsection A of Section 4-112 of this title.
198	198	SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, Section 14 -110.1, as
199	199	amended by Section 2, Chapter 292, O.S.L. 2022 (26 O.S. Supp. 2022,
200	200	Section 14-110.1), is amended to read as follows:
201	201	Section 14-110.1 A. A registered voter who swears or af firms
202	202	that the voter is physically unable to vote in person at the
203	203	precinct on the day of the election because the voter is:
204	204	1. Physically incapacitated; or
205	205	2. Charged with the care of another person who is physically
206	206	incapacitated and who cannot be left unattended;
207	207	may apply for an absentee ballot. Such applications may be made by
208	208	United States mail, by facsimile d evice as defined by Section 18 62
209	209	of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes or by a means of electronic
210	210	communication designated by the Secretary o f the State Election
211	211	Board or may be made in person at the office of the county elect ion
212	212	board by an agent of the v oter. Such an agent shall be a person of
213	213	the voter's choosing who is at least sixteen (16) years of age and
214	214	who is not employed by or relate d within the third d egree of
215	215	consanguinity or affinity to any person whose name appea rs on the
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242	242	ballot. No person may be the agent for more than one voter at any
243	243	election. The Secretary of the State Election Board shall pres cribe
244	244	a form to be used for the application, although any application
245	245	setting forth substantially the same facts sha ll be valid.
246	246	Requirements for matching of name, birth date, and identification
247	247	number established pursuant to Section 14 -105 of this title shall
248	248	apply to applications for absentee ballots under this section.
249	249	B. Any voter eligible for an absentee ballot a s described in
250	250	subsection A of this section may indicate on an application for
251	251	absentee ballots that the application is for ballots for a single
252	252	election date, for all elections in which the voter is el igible to
253	253	vote in a calendar year or for all future el ections in which the
254	254	voter is eligible to vote. Once approved by the secretary of the
255	255	county election board, such application shall be considered valid
256	256	and shall be fulfilled unless or until the voter cancels the
257	257	application, or a ballot mailed to the add ress provided on the
258	258	application is returned undelivered to the county election board.
259	259	However, if a voter has applied for absentee ballots for all future
260	260	elections, but does not return a completed abs entee ballot for any
261	261	election in a twenty -four-month period after the application i s
262	262	approved, the application shall be canceled.
263	263	SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, Section 14 -115, as
264	264	last amended by Section 1, Chapter 305, O.S.L. 2022 (26 O.S. Supp.
265	265	2022, Section 14-115), is amended to read as follows:
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292	292	Section 14-115. A. If the secretary of a county election board
293	293	receives a request from an incapacitated elector confined to a
294	294	nursing facility, as defined in S ection 1-1902 of Title 63 of the
295	295	Oklahoma Statutes, or a State Veterans Home established pursuant to
296	296	Title 72 of the Oklahoma Statutes within the county of the
297	297	jurisdiction of the secretary, the secretary shall cause to be
298	298	implemented the following procedures:
299	299	1. On any day following the deadline to request an absentee
300	300	ballot as provided in Section 14-103 of this title, but prior to the
301	301	date of the election, the absentee voting board shall deliver to
302	302	each registered voter who is confined to a nursing faci lity, as
303	303	defined in Section 1-1902 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes, o r a
304	304	State Veterans Home established pursuant to Title 72 of the Oklahoma
305	305	Statutes and who requested ballots for an incapacitated voter the
306	306	ballots and materials as may be necessary to vo te same.
307	307	2. The voter must mark the ballots in the manner hereinbefor e
308	308	provided in the presence of the absentee voting board, but in such a
309	309	manner as to make it impossible for any person other than the voter
310	310	to ascertain how the ballots are marked. Insof ar as is possible,
311	311	the voting procedure shall be the same as if the vo ter were casting
312	312	a vote in person at a precinct.
313	313	3. The voter shall then seal the ballots in the plain opaque
314	314	envelope and shall seal the p lain opaque envelope in the envelope
315	315	bearing an affidavit. The voter must complete the affidavit, and
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342	342	the signature of the voter on same must be witnessed by both members
343	343	of the absentee voting board.
344	344	4. The envelope bearing an affidavit then must be sea led in the
345	345	return envelope, which shall be ret urned by the absentee voting
346	346	board to the secretary of the county elec tion board on the same day
347	347	the affidavit was executed.
348	348	5. Ballots cast in such manner shall be counted in the same
349	349	manner as regular mail a bsentee ballots.
350	350	B. The voter may request the assistance of the absentee voting
351	351	board members to mark a ballot, com plete the affidavit or seal t he
352	352	envelopes as described in this section.
353	353	C. 1. An administrator or employee of a nursing facility or
354	354	State Veterans Home who attempts to coerce or influence the vote of
355	355	a person residing in or confined to that facility shall be deemed to
356	356	be in violation of Section 16-109 of this title.
357	357	2. An administrator or employee of a nursing facility or State
358	358	Veterans Home who prevents or attempts to prevent a person residin g
359	359	in or confined to that facility from voting pu rsuant to this section
360	360	shall be deemed to be in vio lation of Section 16-113 of this title.
361	361	D. Any voter eligible for an absentee ballot as described in
362	362	subsection A of this section may indicate on an application for
363	363	absentee ballots that the application is for ballots for a single
364	364	election date, for all elections in which the voter is eligible to
365	365	vote in a calendar year or for all future elections in which the
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392	392	voter is eligible to vote. Once approved by the secretar y of the
393	393	county election board, such application shall be considered valid
394	394	and shall be fulfilled as outlined in this section or Section 14 -114
395	395	of this title unless or u ntil the voter cancels the appli cation or
396	396	moves to a different nursing home or veterans center. However, if a
397	397	voter has applied for absentee ballots for all future elections, but
398	398	does not return a completed absentee ballot for any election in a
399	399	twenty-four-month period after the applica tion is approved, the
400	400	application shall be canceled.
401	401	SECTION 4. This act shall become effect ive November 1, 2023.
402	402
403	403	59-1-7011 LRB 12/13/22

Oklahoma 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB2782 Compare Versions