l9n/ Mississippi

2020 Regular Session

House Bill 297

Absentee voting; require votes to be cast electronically in registrar's office or by mail.

Did not become law. It stopped in the Senate's Elections Committee on June 9, 2020. The 2020 session has ended.

What it does

The synopsis the Legislature published with the bill.

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-637, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT ALL ABSENTEE BALLOTS CAST IN THE OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR MAY BE CAST ON EITHER A DIRECT RECORDING ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEM OR ON A BALLOT THAT IS FED THROUGH AN OPTICAL MARK READING EQUIPMENT MACHINE; TO PROVIDE THAT THE VOTING SYSTEM USED SHALL BE SEALED AT THE CLOSE OF EACH BUSINESS DAY AND SHALL REMAIN SEALED UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY; TO PROVIDE THAT ALL VOTES CAST BY ABSENTEE BALLOT SHALL BE FINAL; TO PROVIDE THAT NO PERSON WHO VOTES ABSENTEE BEFORE THE ELECTION SHALL BE ALLOWED TO VOTE IN PERSON ON ELECTION DAY; TO AUTHORIZE THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS; TO PROVIDE THAT ABSENTEE BALLOTS RECEIVED BY MAIL MUST BE POST MARKED BY THE DATE OF THE ELECTION AND RECEIVED BY THE REGISTRAR NO MORE THAN FIVE BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE ELECTION; TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-645, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT ABSENTEE VOTES CAST IN THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE SHALL BE TALLIED ON ELECTION DAY AND ANNOUNCED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH ALL OTHER VOTES CAST ON ELECTION DAY; TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-649, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT, FOR ALL ELECTIONS, THE ELECTION OFFICIALS SHALL PREPARE EITHER OFFICIAL BALLOTS FOR THE DIRECT RECORDING ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEM OR OFFICIAL BALLOTS TO BE FED THROUGH THE OPTICAL MARK READING EQUIPMENT; TO AMEND SECTIONS 23-15-715 AND 23-15-719, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REVISE THE PROCESS BY WHICH AN ABSENT ELECTOR APPLIES TO VOTE ABSENTEE; TO PROVIDE THE PROCESS FOR AN ABSENTEE VOTER TO VOTE ABSENTEE BY MAIL; TO AMEND SECTIONS 23-15-625, 23-15-627, 23-15-629, 23-15-631, 23-15-635, 23-15-639, 23-15-641, 23-15-647, 23-15-713, 23-15-721, 23-15-731 AND 23-15-735, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Sponsors

Who carried the bill in each chamber, and who signed on. Each name leads to the member's page.

In the House of Representatives

2 co-sponsors

Jansen Owen, Thomas U. Reynolds

Its course

January 28 to June 9, 2020, on one scale. In the top row each mark is a day something happened; taller marks are busier days.

Each committee stop sits inside its chamber.

Every action7 actions on 6 days

In the House of RepresentativesJan 28 to Mar 1042 days

Apportionment and ElectionsJan 28 to Feb 2730 days

In the SenateMar 10 to Jun 9 · stopped91 days

ElectionsMay 12 to Jun 9 · stopped28 days

Amendments

Each amendment offered, and what became of it.

  • House of Representatives floor amendmentPending

Text

Each version as the Legislature printed it.

l9n doesn't hold this bill's text yet.

What happened

In l9n's words, one line for each step. Every action as the Legislature published it is below.

In the House of Representatives Jan 28 – Mar 10

  1. Jan 28Referred to the House committee on Apportionment and Elections
  2. Feb 27Reported from committee in the House: title sufficient, do pass as a committee substitute
  3. Mar 10Committee substitute adopted in the House
  4. Passed the House

In the Senate Mar 12 – Jun 9

  1. Mar 12Sent to the Senate
  2. May 12Referred to the Senate committees on Elections and on Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency
  3. Jun 9Died in committee in the Senate
All 7 actions, as published
  1. Jan 28Referred To Apportionment and ElectionsHouse of Representatives
  2. Feb 27Title Suff Do Pass Comm SubHouse of Representatives
  3. Mar 10Committee Substitute AdoptedHouse of Representatives
  4. Mar 10PassedHouse of Representatives
  5. Mar 12Transmitted To SenateHouse of Representatives
  6. May 12Referred To Elections;Accountability, Efficiency, TransparencySenate
  7. Jun 9Died In CommitteeSenate