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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Harden
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
2/10/07
HB
SHORT TITLE Mail-In Irrigation District Election Ballots
SB 434
ANALYST Ortiz
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY07
FY08
NFI
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
No Responses Received From
Secretary of State (SOS)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 434 allows the irrigation district board to select an election procedure with in-person
voting or with all mail-in ballots for any election, subsequent to the organization of the district,
in which a director is elected or for any bond election. The bill adds the following procedure for
in-person elections. One judge shall be chair of the board of election and may administer all
oaths required in the progress of any election and appoint judges and clerks. Before opening the
polls, the election board members must take an oath to perform the duties. Hours of the polls
shall be from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.
New language is added to describe the mail-in ballot procedure. Specifically, the will appoint
one person from each of the three precincts to serve on the board of election. The board, 35 days
prior to the election, will mail qualified electors a ballot and notify them that there will not be a
polling place. Upon receipt of ballots, which will be received until 7:00 p.m. on election day, the
board will check off that the qualified elector has returned the ballot. Mail-in ballots will be
delivered in an unopened ballot box by the board of elections to the board of directors, who will
count the ballots.