Reference is to Printer's Date 4/19/12-H.
Amend the bill, as and if amended, by adding an appropriately numbered SECTION at the end to read:
/ SECTION 5.A. Article 1, Chapter 13, Title 7 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 7-13-25.
(A) Notwithstanding the provisions of
this chapter or Chapter 5 of this title, the authority charged
by law with conducting an election shall establish a procedure
by which a qualified elector may cast his ballot, without
excuse, during an early voting period for all elections. The
qualified elector may cast a ballot during an early voting
period pursuant to this section.
(B) Early voting
centers must be established and maintained to ensure that voters
may cast only one ballot.
(C) A qualified elector
may cast his ballot at an early voting center in the county in
which he resides.
(D) Each county board
of registration and elections must establish at least one early
voting center and may establish up to three early voting
centers. The county board of registration and elections will
determine the location of the early voting center or centers.
Each early voting center must be supervised by election
commission employees.
(E) The early voting
period begins eleven days before an election and ends three days
prior to the election.
(F) The county board of
registration and elections must determine the hours of operation
and location for an early voting center. However, the early
voting center must be open for two Saturdays within the early
voting period for statewide primaries and general elections.
(G) In addition to the
early voting centers established pursuant to this section, a
county board of registration and elections may authorize up to
two additional early voting centers if the county board of
registration and elections finds there is a need for additional
early voting centers after holding a public hearing on the
matter. The county board of registration and elections will
determine the location of the early voting center or
centers."
(H) A sign must be
posted prominently in an early voting center and must have
printed on it, 'VOTING MORE THAN ONCE IS A MISDEMEANOR AND, UPON
CONVICTION, A PERSON MUST BE FINED IN THE DISCRETION OF THE
COURT OR IMPRISONED NOT MORE THAN THREE YEARS'."
B. Section 7-3-20(C) of the 1976 Code, as
last amended by Act 253 of 2006, is further amended to read:
"(C) The executive
director shall:
(1)
maintain a complete master file of all qualified electors
by county and by precincts;
(2)
delete the name of any elector:
(a)
who is deceased;
(b)
who is no longer qualified to vote in the precinct where
currently registered;
(c)
who has been convicted of a disqualifying crime;
(d)
who is otherwise no longer qualified to vote as
may be provided by law; or
(e)
who requests in writing that his name be removed;
(3)
enter names on the master file as they are reported by the
county registration boards;
(4)
furnish each county registration board with a master list
of all registered voters in the county, together with a copy of
all registered voters in each precinct of the county, at least
ten days prior to each election. The precinct copies
shallmust be used as the official list
of voters;
(5)
maintain all information furnished his office relating to
the inclusion or deletion of names from the master file for four
years;
(6)
purchase, lease, or contract for the use of
suchany equipment as may
be necessary to properly execute the duties of his
office, subject to the approval of the State Election
Commission;
(7)
secure from the United States courts and federal and state
agencies available information as to persons convicted of
disqualifying crimes;
(8)
obtain information from any
otheranother source which may assist him in
carrying out the purposes of this section;
(9)
perform such other duties relating to
elections as may be assigned to him by
the State Election Commission;
(10)
furnish at reasonable price any precinct lists to a
qualified elector requesting them;
(11)
serve as the chief state election official responsible for
implementing and coordinating the state's responsibilities under
the National Voter Registration Act of 1993;
and
(12)
serve as the chief state election official responsible for
implementing and enforcing the state's responsibilities under
the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act
(UOCAVA), as set forth in the United States Code, Title 42,
Section 1973ff, et seq; and
(13)
enter into the master file a separate designation for each
voter casting an absentee ballot or an early ballot in a general
election."
C. Section 7-15-320 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 43 of 2011, is further amended by adding an appropriately numbered subsection at the end to read:
"( ) Any qualified elector may vote during the early voting period pursuant to Section 7-13-25." /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.