Election bill would set voting protections, hours, and enforcement rules

People who threaten, intimidate, or coerce voters or election workers would face criminal penalties, civil liability, or both. The rules cover voting, voter registration, election officials' lawful duties, in-person and early voting, absentee voting, and ballot return activities. Threats against voters or election officials would be Class H felonies, while intimidation or coercion would be Class A1 misdemeanors. Employers could not tie pay or continued employment to voting choices or put political threats on employees' pay envelopes. A person harmed by a violation could seek a court order, and a court could award reasonable attorney fees. A court could order restitution fines, but money in the proposed restitution fund could be used only after legislative appropriation. These provisions would apply when the act becomes law and to elections held on or after that date.

County boards would open all early voting sites on the same days and during set hours. The schedule would cover every approved early voting site in a county, including weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and the final Saturday before an election. Weekday hours would be 8:00 A.M. to 7:30 P.M. Saturday hours would be 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., and Sunday hours would be noon to 5:00 P.M. If a county opens sites on additional Saturdays or Sundays, the sites would have to operate for the same number of hours across the county. This section would take effect January 1, 2027, and apply to elections held on or after that date.

Election officials and courts would use election-day rules when deciding whether to count ballots, while election boards would follow added audit, challenge, and notice procedures. The provisions cover voters, absentee ballots, public officials, election observers, election boards, post-election audits, and lawsuits filed shortly before or after elections. A ballot could not be rejected based only on a later law, ruling, interpretation, or procedure; a voter could still challenge an unlawful denial of voting rights. Voter challenges would generally be barred during the 90 days before an election, unless federal law requires otherwise. Absentee voters would receive written notice of a challenge, its basis, response steps, and deadlines. The State Board would conduct a risk-limiting audit after each general election, but that audit could not change election results. The act would apply when it becomes law and to elections held on or after that date; covered lawsuits would receive expedited handling when filed within the specified pre-election or post-election periods.