8. Absentee voting in presence of clerk. A person who wishes to vote by absentee ballot may, without completing an application, vote by absentee ballot in the presence of the clerk. The method of voting is otherwise as prescribed in this article. After the person has voted, the clerk shall sign the affidavit on the return envelope as a witness, indicate on the envelope that the voter voted in the presence of a clerk and ensure that the affidavit on the return envelope is properly completed by the voter. For the 45 days preceding an election, during the hours when the clerk's office is open and may be conducting absentee voting, the display or distribution of any advertising material intended to influence a voter's decision regarding a candidate or ballot issue is prohibited within the clerk's office and on public property within 250 feet of the entrance to the clerk's office.

This subsection does not apply to the display or distribution of any campaign advertising material on private property that is within 250 feet of the entrance to the clerk's office.

This subsection does not apply to campaign advertising material on automobiles traveling to and from the municipal office or parked on municipal property while the occupants are visiting the municipal office to conduct municipal business. It does not prohibit a person who is at the municipal office for the purpose of conducting municipal business or for absentee voting from wearing a campaign button when the longest dimension of the button does not exceed 3 inches.

Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA §754-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1999, c. 645, §7, is further amended to read:

1. Ballot delivered to voter. When a voter or an immediate family member of a voter obtains a ballot from the clerk in person or by mail and returns that ballot to the clerk in person or by mail and receives no assistance in marking the ballot, the following procedures apply.

A. The voter shall mark that ballot according to section 691 or 692 so that it is impossible for anyone present at the time to see how the voter voted.