Bill > S2699

Introduced Session

This bill prohibits county boards of elections from rejecting any mail-in or provisional ballot with a missing signature or a signature mismatch unless the voter is provided the opportunity to cure signature discrepancies. The ballot will be tentatively rejected until the voter cures the discrepancies within 14 days following the election. Under the bill, when a county board of elections has identified a mail-in or provisional ballot containing either a missing signature or a signature mismatch, the board must notify the voter within 24 hours from the time the ballot was tentatively rejected. The bill requires the board to send the voter a cure letter instructing the voter to return the enclosed cure form by mail, fax, email, or in person to the board of elections 14 days following the date of the election. The form would allow the voter to verify his or her identity by providing the number of a driver's license or a non-driver identification card. If the voter does not possess either form of identification, the last four digits of his or her social security number may be provided. If the voter does not have any of the above forms of identification, a copy of a state-accepted form of identification listing the voter's name and address may be submitted. If a voter timely returns a properly completed cure form and the information provided verifies his or her identity, the mail-in or provisional ballot would be counted in the final election results. Failure to return the cure form would result in a rejection of the mail-in or provisional ballot. A county board of elections must report to the Division of Elections, within 14 days after an election, whether it has completed the processing of all mail-in and provisional ballots. If processing has not been completed, the board must provide an update on its progress. This bill also directs the Secretary of State to issue guidance advising county boards of elections to, at a minimum, meet in advance of the date of an election and eight days after an election to discharge their duties under the bill and to issue guidance regarding signature variation. Finally, the Division of Elections is required to conduct a public awareness campaign in advance of an election concerning the importance of signatures on mail-in and provisional ballots, how signatures are verified, and the notice and cure process.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Nia Gill (D)*, 

Combined with S2598 (SCS) (on 08/20/2020)