The legislature finds that service and overseas voters have the right to vote for their elected officials. To effectuate this right, service and overseas voters must have access to the same ballot materials as voters present in the state with sufficient time to thoughtfully consider candidates and issues before casting a ballot. Accordingly, the legislature intends to ensure that voters' pamphlets are distributed to service and overseas voters at the same time as the ballot.
This section modifies existing section 29A.32.010. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The secretary of state shall, whenever at least one statewide measure or office is scheduled to appear on the general election ballot, print and distribute a voters' pamphlet.
The secretary of state shall distribute the voters' pamphlet to each household in the state, to each household in which a service or overseas voter lives, to public libraries, and to any other locations the secretary deems appropriate. The secretary of state shall also produce taped or Braille transcripts of the voters' pamphlet, publicize their availability, and mail without charge a copy to any person who requests one. A pamphlet mailed to a service or overseas voter under this section must be sent at the same time as the ballot.
The secretary of state may make the material required to be distributed by this chapter available to the public in electronic form. The secretary of state may provide the material in electronic form to computer bulletin boards, print and broadcast news media, community computer networks, and similar services at the cost of reproduction or transmission of the data.
This section modifies existing section 29A.32.260. Here is the modified chapter for context.
As soon as practicable before the primary, special election, or general election, the county auditor, or if applicable, the city clerk of a first-class or code city, as appropriate, shall mail the local voters' pamphlet to every residence in each jurisdiction that has included information in the pamphlet**, as well as to the residence of every service or overseas voter who is registered in the jurisdiction**. The county auditor or city clerk, as appropriate, may choose to mail the pamphlet to each registered voter in each jurisdiction that has included information in the pamphlet, if in his or her judgment, a more economical and effective distribution of the pamphlet would result. A pamphlet mailed to a service or overseas voter under this section must be sent at the same time as the ballot.
This section modifies existing section 29A.72.025. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The office of financial management, in consultation with the secretary of state, the attorney general, and any other appropriate state or local agency, shall prepare a fiscal impact statement for each of the following state ballot measures: (1) An initiative to the people that is certified to the ballot; (2) an initiative to the legislature that will appear on the ballot; (3) an alternative measure appearing on the ballot that the legislature proposes to an initiative to the legislature; (4) a referendum bill referred to voters by the legislature; and (5) a referendum measure appearing on the ballot. Fiscal impact statements must be written in clear and concise language, avoid legal and technical terms when possible, and be filed with the secretary of state no later than July 15th. Fiscal impact statements may include easily understood graphics.
A fiscal impact statement must describe any projected increase or decrease in revenues, costs, expenditures, or indebtedness that the state or local governments will experience if the ballot measure were approved by state voters. Where appropriate, a fiscal impact statement may include both estimated dollar amounts and a description placing the estimated dollar amounts into context. A fiscal impact statement must include both a summary of not to exceed one hundred words and a more detailed statement that includes the assumptions that were made to develop the fiscal impacts.
Fiscal impact statements must be available online from the secretary of state's web site and included in the state voters' pamphlet. Additional information may be posted on the web site of the office of financial management.
If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2021, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.