53.45 Special absentee ballot.
1. a. As provided in this section, the commissioner shall provide special absentee ballots to be used for general elections. A special absentee ballot shall only be provided to an eligible elector who completes an application stating both of the following to the best of the eligible elector’s belief:
(1) The eligible elector will be residing or stationed or working outside the continental United States.
(2) The eligible elector will be unable to vote and return a regular absentee ballot by normal mail delivery within the period provided for regular absentee ballots.
b. The application for a special absentee ballot shall not be filed earlier than one hundred twenty days prior to the general election. The special absentee ballot shall list the offices and measures, if known, scheduled to appear on the general election ballot. The eligible elector may use the special absentee ballot to write in the name of any eligible candidate for each office and may vote on any measure.
2. With any special absentee ballot issued under this section, the commissioner shall include a listing of any candidates who have filed before the time of the application for offices that will appear on the ballot at that general election and a list of any measures that have been referred to the ballot before the time of the application.
3. Write-in votes on special absentee ballots shall be counted in the same manner provided by law for the counting of other write-in votes. The commissioner shall process and canvass the special absentee ballots provided under this section in the same manner as other absentee ballots.
4. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 53.49, an eligible elector who requests a special absentee ballot under this section may also make application for an absentee ballot under section 53.2 or an armed forces absentee ballot under section 53.40. If the regular absentee or armed forces absentee ballot is properly voted and returned, the special absentee ballot is void and the commissioner shall reject it in whole when special absentee ballots are canvassed.
87 Acts, ch 221, §29; 88 Acts, ch 1119, §30; 2008 Acts, ch 1032, §201; 2013 Acts, ch 30, §16; 2016 Acts, ch 1003, §1
Referred to in §48A.5, 53.38
Structure Iowa Code
Title II - ELECTIONS AND OFFICIAL DUTIES
Section 53.1 - Right to vote — conditions.
Section 53.2 - Application for ballot.
Section 53.3 - Requirements for certain absentee ballot applications — prescribed form — receipt.
Section 53.4 - Absentee ballots — reports.
Section 53.7 - Solicitation by public employees.
Section 53.9 - Prohibited persons.
Section 53.10 - Absentee voting at the commissioner’s office.
Section 53.11 - Satellite absentee voting stations.
Section 53.12 - Duty of commissioner.
Section 53.13 - Voter’s affidavit on envelope.
Section 53.14 - Party affiliation.
Section 53.15 - Marking ballot.
Section 53.16 - Subscribing to affidavit.
Section 53.17 - Mailing or delivering ballot.
Section 53.17A - Absentee ballot tracking.
Section 53.19 - Listing absentee ballots.
Section 53.20 - Special precinct established.
Section 53.21 - Replacement of lost or spoiled absentee ballots.
Section 53.22 - Balloting by confined persons.
Section 53.23 - Special precinct election board.
Section 53.24 - Counties using voting machines.
Section 53.25 - Rejecting ballot.
Section 53.26 - Rejected ballots — how handled.
Section 53.27 - Rejection of ballot — return of envelope.
Section 53.30 - Ballots, ballot envelopes, and other information preserved.
Section 53.32 - Ballot of deceased voter.
Section 53.33 - Unlawful return of ballot.
Section 53.34 - False affidavit.
Section 53.35 - Refusal to return ballot.
Section 53.35A - Failure to return ballot.
Section 53.36 - Offenses by officers.
Section 53.37A - State commissioner duties.
Section 53.38 - What constitutes registration.
Section 53.39 - Request for ballot — when available.
Section 53.40 - Request requirements — transmission of ballot.
Section 53.41 - Records by commissioner — excess requests or ballots.
Section 53.42 - Voting in person in commissioner’s office.
Section 53.43 - Identification on envelope.
Section 53.44 - Affidavit to be signed and returned.
Section 53.45 - Special absentee ballot.
Section 53.46 - Powers and duties of state commissioner.
Section 53.47 - Materials furnished by department of administrative services.
Section 53.48 - Postage on ballots.
Section 53.49 - Applicable to armed forces and other citizens.
Section 53.50 - Appropriation.
Section 53.51 - Rule of construction.