Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that reduces the number of assistance funding requests made by public schools from 2 requests per year to 1 request every 2 years.

Highlights:

• Authorizes an unopposed candidate for election to a township office to be appointed and to serve as a precinct election officer at any vote center (Sec. 44).

• Repeals city and town conventions for the nomination of candidates for municipal offices, starting January 1, 2021 (Sec. 10).

• Repeals town election boards (Secs. 4, 6, 9, 16, 32, 33, 37, & 83).

• Prohibits a special election for a local public question from being held in a year after a presidential election year (Sec. 30).

• Specifies that “applicable statute” refers to either (Sec. 31):

• A referendum tax levy; or

• A school safety referendum tax levy. 

• Authorizes a school corporation to reimpose or extend a levy in 2021, 2025, or 2027 under an applicable statute if the school corporation would have been allowed to reimpose or extend the levy under this title and the applicable statute, both as in effect before January 1, 2020 (Sec. 31).

• Prohibits a school corporation, if deciding to reimpose or extend a levy as described in the previous highlight, from further reimposing or extending that levy for a period of time allowed under the applicable statute that expires during a year after a presidential election year (Sec. 31).

• Authorizes any part of a precinct that has been divided and assigned some of its territory to a municipality through an annexation, to form a separate precinct without having to comply with the requirement of having at least 600 active voters (Sec. 32).

• Authorizes a county executive to file a petition with the election division requesting the commission waive the requirement that a precinct have at least 600 active voters (Sec. 33).

• Specifies that an appointed precinct committeeman is eligible to participate in a caucus under this chapter only if both (Sec. 59):

• The precinct committeeman was committeeman 30 days before the vacancy occurred; and

• The precinct committeeman is entitled to vote for the legislative office for which a successor is to be selected.

• Authorizes the county election board, by unanimous vote, to allow an individual who is not a voter to serve as a member of an absentee voter board, or otherwise to assist the circuit court clerk with processing absentee voter applications and ballots if the individual (Sec. 39):

• Is at least 16 years old but not 18 years of age or older;

• Is a citizen;

• Is a resident of the county;

• Has a cumulative grade point average no less than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;

• Has the written approval of the principal of their school;

• Has the approval of their parent or guardian;

• Has completed training required by the election board; and

• Is eligible to serve as an absentee voter board but is not required to be a registered voter of the county.

• Authorizes the adoption, rescission, or amendment of a vote center plan if (Sec. 46):

• A majority vote of the entire membership of the board votes to adopt, rescind, or amend the vote center plan; and

• At least two of the members of the board voting to adopt, rescind, or amend the vote center plan are members of different political parties.

• Establishes procedures for processing the absentee ballot of a voter who does not complete the casting of their ballot before an absentee voter board (Sec. 38).

• Establishes procedures through which an appointed member of the state recount commission can designate another individual to serve as a proxy of record in the member’s place as a member of the commission (Sec. 51).

• Establishes administrative procedures to remove a township board member determined to have ceased to be a resident of the township (Sec. 65-68).

Full Bill Text