Reference is to Printer's date 4/20/16-H.
Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking SECTION 2 in its entirety and inserting:
/ SECTION 2. Section 7-15-420 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 284 of 2006, is further amended to read:
"Section 7-15-420.
The county board of voter registration and elections,
municipal election commission, or executive committee of each
municipal party in the case of municipal primary elections is
responsible for the tabulation and reporting of absentee
ballots. At 9:00 a.m. on election day the
calendar day immediately preceding election day, the
managers appointed pursuant to Section 7-5-10, and in the
presence of any watchers who have been appointed pursuant to
Section 7-13-860, may begin the process of examining the
return-addressed envelopes that have been received by the county
board of voter registration and elections making certain that
each oath has been properly signed and witnessed and includes
the address of the witness. All return-addressed envelopes
received by the county board of voter registration and elections
before the time for closing the polls must be examined in this
manner. Before the counting of absentee ballots may begin,
the county board of voter registrations and elections shall
disclose the number of absentee ballots to be counted. The
number of absentee ballots to be counted may increase only if
additional absentee ballots are received due to emergency
hospital admission pursuant to the provisions of Section
7-15-330 and a new total must be disclosed. A ballot may
not be counted unless the oath is properly signed and witnessed
nor may any a ballot be counted which is
received by the county board of voter registration and elections
after time for closing of the polls. The printed instructions
required by Section 7-15-370(2) to be sent each absentee ballot
applicant must notify him that his vote will not be counted in
either of these events. If a ballot is not challenged, the
sealed return-addressed envelope must be opened by the managers,
and the enclosed envelope marked 'Ballot Herein' removed and
placed in a locked box or boxes. After all return-addressed
envelopes have been emptied in this manner, the managers shall
remove the ballots contained in the envelopes marked 'Ballot
Herein', placing each one in the ballot box provided for the
applicable contest. Beginning at 9:00 a.m. on election
day the calendar day immediately preceding election
day, the absentee ballots may be tabulated, including any
absentee ballots received on election day before the polls are
closed. If any a ballot is challenged,
the return-addressed envelope must not be opened, but must be
put aside and the procedure set forth in Section 7-13-830 must
be utilized; but the absentee voter must be given reasonable
notice of the challenged ballot. Results of the tabulation must
not be publicly reported until after the polls are closed."
/
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.