The absentee ballot portion of your note does not affect me as our polls are
open from 7 - 7.  We discussed this issue at the meeting with Deb
Marquowitz.  The conclusion as far as hours go to be open for voting should
be up to each BCA.  It could be a very long boring day for a small town that
always has a very light turnout.  This is why it is good that anyone can
request an absentee ballot.  If a person can request an absentee ballot
until 10:00 a.m., where do they go to request this?  If voting takes place
at a location different from the clerk's office, the clerk is going to need
coverage while he/she is setting up or is on the way to voting place.  I
really think the current statute for absentee voting covers everything.
Voters have 20 days to request an absentee ballot. What about posting the
absentee voter list?  We now have to post it by 1 p.m. on Monday, but voters
have until 5 p.m. to request ballot.  This means we have to update list
before election.  We have enough to remember to do now.


I like the idea of an active and inactive list; however, what numbers do you
use for petitions?,  What list do you print to post, to use for check-in,
etc?  I'm afraid this would be way too confusing.  On our NEMRC, we can
highlight a name with the word challenged.  I feel that this might be the
most we can do.  I suggest that the legislature make it easier to remove names.

At 12:27 PM 3/10/99 -0500, you wrote:
>        Legislation is being drafted reference to absentee ballots : (b)
>In a political subdivision in which the polls open later than seven a.m.
>voters may if the board of civil authority so votes, apply in person at
>the polling place for absentee ballots between the hours of seven a/m.
>and the time the polls open. In this case the presiding officer or
>designee shall furnish the ballots when a valid application for early
>voter absentee ballots is received. The applicant shall mark his or her
>ballots, seal them in the envelope, sign the certificate and return the
>ballots in the sealed envelope to the presiding officer or designee,
>without leaving the polling placed.
>                The board of civil authority may subdivide the checklist
>into lists of active and inactive voters.The list of inactive voters
>shall contain the names and addresses of voters who failed to respond to
>the notice sent pursuant to subdivision (d) (3) of section 2150 of this
>title, whose names have not been removed from the checklist. The names of
>the remaining voters shall be included in the list of active voters.
>        We need to know your feelings about these drafts as soon as
>possible .
>
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Velma E. Godfrey, Richmond, 434-2221, Fax 434-5570, [log in to unmask]