Signed by Governor Eric Holcomb

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that authorizes 16 or 17 year-olds to serve as a precinct election officer without the written approval of the school principal if school is not in session on Election Day.

Highlights:

• Specifies if a vacancy is filled by the county election board other than the inspector, the board may, by unanimous vote of the entire membership of the board, fill the precinct election office by appointing a person eligible to serve as a precinct election officer, other than inspector (Sec. 1.d).

• Authorizes an individual to serve in any capacity if they meeting the criteria (Sec. 2):

• The individual is at least 16 years of age but not 18 years of age or older;

• The individual is a citizen of the United States;

• The individual is a resident of the county;

• The individual has a cumulative grade point average equivalent to not less than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; and

• The individual either:

• Has the written approval of the principal of the school the individual attends at the time of the appointment or attends a school that will not be in session on election day; or

• If the student is educated in the home, has the approval of the individual responsible for the education of the student.

• Requires the county to submit a map of each proposed precinct and documentation in an electronic format prescribed by the election division, including any digital aerial photograph necessary to depict a split census block, municipal boundary, state legislative district, municipal legislative district, or visible feature. The county will submit the map and the information (Sec. 6.c).

• Requires the office to file with the election division the following information for a precinct (Sec. 7.c):

• A list of the census blocks comprising the voting tabulation districts used by the United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, in reporting the 2020 federal decennial census of Indiana, as supplemented by the office; and

• A file in a format prescribed by the election division depicting the boundaries of the precinct as shown by maps included in the GIS.

• Amends the following procedures for the county election board (Sec. 10.b):

• It may not tabulate the ballots before election day; and

• It must retract a previously scanned absentee ballot card of a voter who is later found disqualified or whose ballot may not be counted for any other reason under this law.

• Specifies this law applies to a county if the county election board has adopted a resolution by the unanimous vote of the entire membership of the board to use the procedures outlined in this law, and the county (Sec. 11.a):

• Has adopted an order to use an electronic poll book; or

• Is a vote center county.

• Requires a team of absentee ballot counters to do all of the following (Sec. 11.c):

• Conduct a review of the absentee ballot;

• Determine if the absentee ballot cannot be counted;

• Open the envelope containing the absentee ballot in a manner that does not deface or destroy the affidavit and take out each ballot enclosed without unfolding or permitting the ballot to be unfolded or examined;

• Determine if the absentee ballot has been endorsed with the initials of:

• The 2 members of the absentee voter board in the office of the clerk of the circuit court;

• The 2 members of the absentee voter board visiting the voter; or

• The 2 appointed members of the county election board or the members' designated representatives.

• Authorizes a member of the county election board to challenge a voter when a team of absentee ballot counters is processing an absentee ballot under this law (Sec. 11.f).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that authorizes 16 or 17 year-olds to serve as a precinct election officer without the written approval of the school principal if school is not in session on Election Day.

Highlights:

• Specifies if a vacancy is filled by the county election board other than the inspector, the board may, by unanimous vote of the entire membership of the board, fill the precinct election office by appointing a person eligible to serve as a precinct election officer, other than inspector (Sec. 1.d).

• Authorizes an individual to serve in any capacity if they meeting the criteria (Sec. 2):

• The individual is at least 16 years of age but not 18 years of age or older;

• The individual is a citizen of the United States;

• The individual is a resident of the county;

• The individual has a cumulative grade point average equivalent to not less than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; and

• The individual either:

• Has the written approval of the principal of the school the individual attends at the time of the appointment or attends a school that will not be in session on election day; or

• If the student is educated in the home, has the approval of the individual responsible for the education of the student.

• Requires the county to submit a map of each proposed precinct and documentation in an electronic format prescribed by the election division, including any digital aerial photograph necessary to depict a split census block, municipal boundary, state legislative district, municipal legislative district, or visible feature. The county will submit the map and the information (Sec. 6.c).

• Requires the office to file with the election division the following information for a precinct (Sec. 7.c):

• A list of the census blocks comprising the voting tabulation districts used by the United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, in reporting the 2020 federal decennial census of Indiana, as supplemented by the office; and

• A file in a format prescribed by the election division depicting the boundaries of the precinct as shown by maps included in the GIS.

• Amends the following procedures for the county election board (Sec. 10.b):

• It may not tabulate the ballots before election day; and

• It must retract a previously scanned absentee ballot card of a voter who is later found disqualified or whose ballot may not be counted for any other reason under this law.

• Specifies this law applies to a county if the county election board has adopted a resolution by the unanimous vote of the entire membership of the board to use the procedures outlined in this law, and the county (Sec. 11.a):

• Has adopted an order to use an electronic poll book; or

• Is a vote center county.

• Requires a team of absentee ballot counters to do all of the following (Sec. 11.c):

• Conduct a review of the absentee ballot;

• Determine if the absentee ballot cannot be counted;

• Open the envelope containing the absentee ballot in a manner that does not deface or destroy the affidavit and take out each ballot enclosed without unfolding or permitting the ballot to be unfolded or examined;

• Determine if the absentee ballot has been endorsed with the initials of:

• The 2 members of the absentee voter board in the office of the clerk of the circuit court;

• The 2 members of the absentee voter board visiting the voter; or

• The 2 appointed members of the county election board or the members' designated representatives.

• Authorizes a member of the county election board to challenge a voter when a team of absentee ballot counters is processing an absentee ballot under this law (Sec. 11.f).

Full Bill Text