Iowa Admin. Code r. 721-21.320

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 11, December 11, 2024

Rule 721-21.320 - Absentee voting by UOCAVA voters

This rule applies only to absentee voting by persons who are entitled to vote by absentee ballot under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and Iowa Code chapter 53, division II, "Absent Voting by Armed Forces."

(1)Definitions. The following definitions apply to this rule:

"Armed forces, " as used in this rule, is defined in Iowa Code section 53.37(3).

"FPCA" means the federal postcard absentee ballot application and voter registration form authorized for use in Iowa by Iowa Code section 53.38.

"UOCAVA voter " means any person who is entitled to vote by absentee ballot under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and Iowa Code chapter 53, division II, "Absent Voting by Armed Forces."

(2)Requests for absentee ballots. All requests for absentee ballots shall be made in writing. Additional requirements for requesting absentee ballots and for processing the requests are set forth below.

a.Forms. UOCAVA voters may use the following official forms to request absentee ballots:

(1) A federal postcard absentee ballot application and voter registration form (FPCA).

(2) A state of Iowa official absentee ballot request form.

(3) For general elections only, a proxy absentee ballot application prescribed by the state commissioner of elections and submitted pursuant to Iowa Code Supplement section 53.40(1)"b. "

b.Form not required. UOCAVA voters may request absentee ballots in writing without using an official form. The written request shall be honored if it includes all of the following information about the voter:

(1) Name.

(2) Age or date of birth.

(3) Iowa residence, including street address (if any) and city.

(4) Address to which the ballot shall be sent.

(5) Township of residence, if applicable.

(6) County of residence.

(7) Party affiliation, if the request is for a ballot for a primary election.

(8) Signature of voter.

(9) Statement explaining why the voter is eligible to receive ballots under the provisions of Iowa Code chapter 53, division II. For example, "I am a U.S. citizen living in France."

c.Methods for transmitting absentee ballot requests. UOCAVA voters may transmit absentee ballot requests by any of the following methods:

(1) Mail.

(2) Personal delivery by the voter or a person designated by the voter.

(3) Facsimile machine.

(4) Scanned application form or letter transmitted by E-mail. Requests by E-mail that do not include an image of the voter's written signature as defined by Iowa Code section 39.3, subsection 17, shall not be accepted.

d.Original request not needed. If the request is sent by E-mail or by fax, it is not necessary for the UOCAVA voter to send to the commissioner the original copy of the FPCA or other official form or written request for an absentee ballot.

e. Multiple requests from the same person. Before the ballot is ready to mail, if the commissioner receives more than one request for an absentee ballot for a particular election (or series of elections) by or on behalf of a UOCAVA voter, the last request received shall be the one honored. However, if one of the requests is for a general election ballot and is made using the proxy absentee ballot application process permitted by Iowa Code Supplement section 53.40(1)"b, " the request received from the voter shall be the one honored, not the proxy request.

f.Subsequent request after ballot has been sent. Not more than one ballot shall be transmitted by the commissioner to any UOCAVA voter for a particular election unless, after the ballot has been mailed or transmitted electronically pursuant to rule 721-21.320 (53), the voter reports a change in the address, E-mail address or fax number to which the ballot should be sent. The commissioner shall void the original absentee ballot request and include a comment in the voter's registration record, noting the I-Voters-sequence number of the original ballot and noting that a replacement ballot was sent to an updated address. If the original ballot is returned voted, it shall be counted only if the replacement ballot does not arrive before the deadline for receiving absentee ballots set forth in Iowa Code section 53.17.

g. Requests for absentee ballots through the end of the calendar year. Iowa Code section 53.40 permits UOCAVA voters to request the commissioner to send absentee ballots for all elections as permitted by state law. In response to an absentee ballot request in which the UOCAVA voter requests ballots for all elections, the commissioner shall send the applicant a ballot for each election held after the request is received through the end of the calendar year in which the request is received. If the applicant does not request ballots for all elections or does not specify which elections the request is for, the commissioner shall send the applicant a ballot only for federal elections through the end of the calendar year in which the request is received.

(1) When an absentee ballot for a UOCAVA voter is returned as undeliverable by the United States Postal Service or an E-mail server or a fax cannot be transmitted to the number provided by the voter, the commissioner shall do the following:

1. Verify that the commissioner's office sent the absentee ballot to the address, E-mail address or fax number requested by the UOCAVA voter. If the absentee ballot was sent incorrectly, the commissioner shall correct the error and immediately transmit a new absentee ballot.

2. If the absentee ballot was sent to the correct mailing address, E-mail address or fax number, the commissioner shall E-mail the voter if the commissioner has an E-mail address on file to inform the voter that the voter's ballot was returned undeliverable, and the commissioner must be provided with a new FPCA containing a new mailing address if the voter wishes to continue to receive absentee ballots.

3. If the absentee ballot was sent to the correct mailing address, E-mail address or fax number, the commissioner shall also attempt to contact the voter by sending a forwardable notice to both the voter's residential address and the voter's absentee mailing address informing the voter that the voter's ballot was returned undeliverable, and the commissioner must be provided with a new FPCA containing a new mailing address, E-mail address or fax number if the voter wishes to continue to receive absentee ballots.

4. If the absentee ballot was mailed, E-mailed or sent to the correct address or fax number, the commissioner shall terminate the voter's current FPCA request and shall not send the voter any further ballots unless a new absentee ballot request is received from the voter.

(2) If the voter provides a new FPCA with a new mailing address, E-mail address or fax number before election day, the commissioner shall enter a new absentee request on the voter's registration record and transmit the ballot via the method requested by the voter. The voter may request that the commissioner transmit the ballot electronically pursuant to subrule 21.320(3).

(3)Electronic transmission of absentee ballots to UOCAVA voters.

a. Electronic transmission of absentee ballots by facsimile machine or by E-mail is limited to UOCAVA voters who specifically ask for this service. A UOCAVA voter who asks for electronic transmission of an absentee ballot may request this service for all elections for which the person is qualified to vote or for specific elections either individually or for a specific period of time. The commissioner may employ FVAP's secure transmission program to facilitate electronic transmission of absentee ballots to UOCAVA voters.

b. Forms. The state commissioner shall provide the following forms and instructions for the electronic transmission of absentee ballots to UOCAVA voters:

(1) Instructions to the county commissioners of elections for providing this service.

(2) Instructions to the voter for marking and returning the ballot.

(3) The envelope affidavit form, which can be printed by the voter on an envelope and used for the voter's declaration of eligibility and voter registration application, if necessary.

(4) The return envelope form, which can be printed by the voter on an envelope and used to return the ballot, postage paid through the FPO/APO postal service.

(4)Ballot return by electronic transmission.

a. Electronic transmission of a voted absentee ballot from the voter to the commissioner is permitted only for UOCAVA voters who are located in an area designated as an imminent danger pay area or for active members of the army, navy, marine corps, merchant marine, coast guard, air force or Iowa national guard who are located outside the United States or any of its territories, as provided in subrule 21.1(13). In addition, the absentee ballot may be returned via electronic transmission only if the voter waives the right to a secret ballot. In addition to signing the affidavit required by Iowa Code section 53.13, the voter shall sign a statement in substantially the following form: "I understand that by returning this ballot by electronic transmission, my voted ballot will not be secret. I hereby waive my right to a secret ballot."

b. When an absentee ballot is received via electronic transmission, the person receiving the transmission shall examine it to determine that all pages have been received and are legible. The person receiving an electronic transmission shall not reveal how the voter voted.

c. The absentee ballot shall be sealed in an envelope marked with the voter's name. The affidavit of the voter and the application for the ballot shall be attached to the envelope. These materials shall be stored with other returned absentee ballots.

d. The deadline for returning an absentee ballot pursuant to this subrule is the close of polls on election day, Central Standard Time.

(5)Original signature for voter registration record. Voters must submit original signatures on voter registration applications unless otherwise provided by this subrule.

a.UOCA VA voters ineligible to return voted balloting materials electronically. UOCAVA voters who are not currently registered to vote in a county and are not eligible to return voted ballot materials electronically pursuant to this rule shall submit an original, signed application for voter registration. The application may be the Iowa voter registration application, the National Mail Voter Registration Form, a Federal Post Card Application, a declaration/affirmation accompanying a federal write-in absentee ballot or a signature on a voted UOCAVA absentee ballot affidavit. Ballots transmitted to UOCAVA voters who do not submit an original voter registration application shall not be counted, and the voter who requested the ballot shall be assigned a status of "Incomplete" with a status reason "No Signature" following the election for which the ballot was requested.

b.UOCAVA voters eligible to return voted balloting materials electronically. UOCAVA voters who are not currently registered to vote and are eligible to return voted ballot materials electronically pursuant to this rule shall submit a signed, scanned application for voter registration. The application may be the Iowa voter registration application, the National Mail Voter Registration Form, a Federal Post Card Application, a declaration/affirmation accompanying a federal write-in absentee ballot or a signature on a voted UOCAVA absentee ballot affidavit. Ballots transmitted to UOCAVA voters who do not submit signed, scanned voter registration applications shall not be counted, and the voter who requested the ballot shall be assigned a status of "Incomplete" with a status reason "No Signature" following the election for which the ballot was requested.

This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code sections 53.40 and 53.46.

Iowa Admin. Code r. 721-21.320

ARC 8045B, IAB 8/26/09, effective 7/27/09; ARC 8777B, IAB 6/2/10, effective 5/7/10;ARC 9989B, IAB 2/8/12, effective 1/17/12; ARC 0107C, IAB 4/18/12, effective 3/30/12

Amended by IAB July 23, 2014/Volume XXXVII, Number 2, effective 8/27/2014

Amended by IAB January 21, 2015/Volume XXXVII, Number 15, effective 2/25/2015