AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning elections.
SECTION 1. IC 3-8-2-7, AS AMENDED BY P.L.202-1999,
SECTION 3, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2001]: Sec. 7. (a) The declaration of each candidate required
by this chapter must be signed before a person authorized to administer
oaths and contain the following information:
(1) The candidate's name, printed or typewritten as:
(A) the candidate wants the candidate's name to appear on the
ballot; and
(B) the candidate's name is permitted to appear on the ballot
under IC 3-5-7.
(2) A statement that the candidate is a registered voter and the
location of the candidate's precinct and township (or ward and
city or town), county, and state.
(3) The candidate's complete residence address, and if the
candidate's mailing address is different from the residence
address, the mailing address.
(4) A statement of the candidate's party affiliation. For purposes
of this subdivision, a candidate is considered to be affiliated
with a political party only if any of the following applies:
(A) The most recent primary election in which the
candidate voted was a primary election held by the party
with which the candidate claims affiliation.
(B) The candidate has never voted in a primary election
and claims a party affiliation.
(C) The county chairman of:
(i) the political party with which the candidate claims
affiliation; and
(ii) the county in which the candidate resides;
certifies that the candidate is a member of the political
party.
(5) A statement that the candidate complies with all requirements
under the laws of Indiana to be a candidate for the above named
office, including any applicable residency requirements, and that
the candidate is not ineligible to be a candidate due to a criminal
conviction that would prohibit the candidate from serving in the
office.
(6) A request that the candidate's name be placed on the official
primary ballot of that party to be voted on, the office for which the
candidate is declaring, and the date of the primary election.
(7) A statement that the candidate:
(A) is aware of the provisions of IC 3-9 regarding campaign
finance and the reporting of campaign contributions and
expenditures; and
(B) agrees to comply with the provisions of IC 3-9.
The candidate must separately sign the statement required by this
subdivision.
(8) A statement as to whether the candidate has been a candidate
for state or local office in a previous primary or general election
and whether the candidate has filed all reports required by
IC 3-9-5-10 for all previous candidacies.
(9) If the candidate is subject to IC 3-9-1-5, a statement that the
candidate has filed a campaign finance statement of organization
for the candidate's principal committee or is aware that the
candidate may be required to file a campaign finance statement of
organization not later than noon seven (7) days after the final date
to file the declaration of candidacy under section 11 of this
chapter.
(10) The candidate's signature.
(b) The commission shall provide that the form of a declaration of
candidacy includes the following information near the separate
signature required by subsection (a)(7):
(1) The dates for filing campaign finance reports under IC 3-9.
(2) The penalties for late filing of campaign finance reports under
IC 3-9.
declaration is withdrawn.
(h) A person who files a declaration of candidacy under this section
may file a written notice withdrawing the person's declaration of
candidacy in the same manner as the original declaration was filed, if
the notice of withdrawal is filed by not later than:
(1) noon August 1 before the municipal election if the town
nominates its candidates by convention; and
(2) the date that a declaration of candidacy may be withdrawn
under IC 3-8-2-20 if the town nominates its candidates in a
primary election.
(i) A declaration of candidacy must include a statement that the
candidate requests the name on the candidate's voter registration record
be the same as the name the candidate uses on the declaration of
candidacy. If there is a difference between the name on the candidate's
declaration of candidacy and the name on the candidate's voter
registration record, the officer with whom the declaration of candidacy
is filed shall forward the information to the voter registration officer of
the appropriate county as required by IC 3-5-7-6(e). The voter
registration officer of the appropriate county shall change the name on
the candidate's voter registration record to be the same as the name on
the candidate's declaration of candidacy.
SECTION 5. IC 3-8-5-11 IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS
[EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2001]: Sec. 11. (a) To determine who may vote
at the convention, the standards prescribed by IC 3-10-1-6 through
IC 3-10-1-10 for determining political party affiliation at a primary
election apply.
(b) The county election board shall furnish the secretary of the
convention a list of all the town's voters. An individual who wants
to vote in a town convention must register with the secretary of the
convention before being permitted to vote in the convention. The
secretary of the convention shall note on the list of the town's
voters when an individual registers with the secretary.
(c) An individual may not vote at more than one (1) convention
held in the town during the same election year.
SECTION 6. IC 3-8-5-14.3 IS AMENDED TO READ AS
FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2001]: Sec. 14.3. If a convention or
a primary election is not required under section 10 of this chapter,
notwithstanding IC 3-10-7:
(1) a municipal primary election or town convention may not be
held; and
(2) each candidate who filed a declaration of candidacy shall be
placed on the municipal election ballot, unless IC 3-10-7-6(b)
applies.
SECTION 7. IC 3-11-10-26 IS AMENDED TO READ AS
FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2001]: Sec. 26. (a) As an
alternative to voting by mail, a voter entitled to cast an absentee ballot
may vote by absentee ballot before an absentee voter board:
(1) in the office of the circuit court clerk; or
(2) at a satellite office established under section 26.3 of this
chapter.
(b) The voter must sign an application on the form prescribed by the
commission under IC 3-11-4-5.1 before being permitted to vote. The
application must be received by the circuit court clerk not later than the
time prescribed by IC 3-11-4-3.
(c) The voter may vote before the board not more than twenty-nine
(29) days nor later than noon on the day before election day.
(d) The absentee voter board in the office of the circuit court clerk
must permit voters to cast absentee ballots under this section for at
least seven (7) hours on each of the two (2) Saturdays preceding
election day.
(e) Notwithstanding subsection (d), in a county with a population of
less than twenty thousand (20,000), the absentee voter board in the
office of the circuit court clerk, with the approval of the county election
board, may reduce the number of hours available to cast absentee
ballots under this section to a minimum of four (4) hours on each of the
two (2) Saturdays preceding election day.
SECTION 8. IC 3-11-10-26.3 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA
CODE AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS
[EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2001]: Sec. 26.3. (a) A county election board
may adopt a resolution to authorize the circuit court clerk to
establish satellite offices in the county where voters may cast
absentee ballots before an absentee voter board.
(b) To be adopted under this section, a resolution must be
adopted by the unanimous vote of the board's entire membership.
(c) A resolution adopted under this section must do the
following:
(1) State the locations of the satellite offices.
(2) State the hours at which absentee voting may occur at the
satellite offices.
(d) The resolution may contain other provisions the board
considers useful.
(e) If a resolution is adopted under this section, the procedure
for casting an absentee ballot at a satellite office must, except as
provided in this section, be substantially the same as the procedure
for casting an absentee ballot in the office of the circuit court clerk.
SECTION 9. IC 3-14-2-30 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
1, 2001]: Sec. 30. A person who knowingly votes at a town
convention in violation of IC 3-8-5-11(c) commits a Class A
misdemeanor.
SECTION 10. IC 36-1-8-10 IS AMENDED TO READ AS
FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2001]: Sec. 10. (a) As used in this
section, "board" means an administration, agency, authority, board,
bureau, commission, committee, council, department, division,
institution, office, service, or other similarly designated body of a
political subdivision.
(b) Whenever a law or political subdivision's resolution requires that
an appointment to a board be conditioned upon the political affiliation
of the appointee, or that the membership of a board not exceed a stated
number of members from the same political party, at the time of an
appointment either of the following must apply to the appointee:
must:
(1) have voted in The most recent primary election in which the
appointee voted was a primary election held by the party with
which the appointee claims affiliation. or
(2) if The appointee did not vote in the most recent primary
election held by the party with which the appointee claims
affiliation, be is certified as a member of that party by the party's
county chairman for the county in which the appointee resides.
(c) Notwithstanding any other law, if the term of an appointed
member of a board expires and the appointing authority does not make
an appointment to fill the vacancy, the member may continue to serve
on the board for only sixty (60) days after the expiration date of the
member's term.