COMPILED CODE - Iowa Legislature - State of Iowa

52
§ 529. ABSENT VOTERS' LAW. Tit. IV, Ch. 9.
CHAPTER 9.
ABSENT VOTERS' LAW.
SECTION 529. Opening envelope — depositing ballot — rejecting
ballot—voting machine precincts.
1 At any time between the opening and closing of the polls on such
2 election day the judges of election of said precinct shall open the
3 outer or carrier envelope only, announce the absent or disabled voter's
4 name and compare the signature upon the application with the sig-
5 nature upon the affidavit on the ballot envelope. In case the judges
6 find the affidavits executed, that the signatures correspond, the ap-
7 plicant a duly qualified elector of the precinct, and that the applicant
8 has not voted in person at said election, they shall open the envelope
9 containing the absent or disabled voter's ballot in such manner as not
10 to deface or destroy the affidavit thereon and take out the ballot or
11 ballots therein contained without unfolding or permitting the same
12 to be unfolded or examined and, having indorsed the ballot in like
13 manner as other ballots are required to be indorsed, deposit the same
14 in the proper ballot box or boxes and enter the absent or disabled
15 voter's name in the poll book, the same as if he had been present and
16 voted in person.
17 In precincts using voting machines two election judges of different
18 political parties shall, at any time between the opening and closing of
19 the polls on election day, open the absent voters' ballots and register
20 the ballot on the voting machine the same as if the absent voter had
21 been present and voted in person.
22 In case such affidavit is found to be insufficient, or that the sig-
23 natures do not correspond, or that the applicant is not a duly qualified
24 elector in such precinct, or that the ballot envelope is open, or has
25 been opened and resealed, or that the ballot envelope contains more
26 than one ballot of any one kind, such vote shall not be accepted or
27 counted. Every ballot, not counted shall be indorsed on the back
28 thereof "Rejected (giving reason therefor) ".
29 All rejected ballots shall be inclosed and securely sealed in an
30 envelope on which the judges shall indorse "Defective ballots" with a
31 statement of the precinct in which and the date of the election at
32 which they were cast, signed by the judges and returned to the same
33 officer and in the same manner as by law provided for the return and
34 preservation of official ballots voted at such election.
35 The affidavit upon the ballot envelope shall constitute a sufficient
36 registration of the voter in precincts where registration is required
37 and shall be treated like and have the same force and effect as a cer-
38 tificate issued by the registers of election on election day in all cases
39 where the voter is not already registered and where his name does
40 not appear upon the alphabetical lists, and if the ballot be deposited
41 and the absent or disabled voter's name be entered on the poll books
42 as herein provided, the judges of election shall enter the absent or
43 disabled voter's name on the alphabetical lists with the same data as
44 is entered when a certificate of registration is filed, and the ballot en-
45 velope having the absent or disabled voter's affidavit thereon shall be
46 preserved and returned with the certificates of registration, poll book
47 and alphabetical lists to the city clerk, who shall preserve the same,
48 and it shall be used by the registers of election, in precincts where