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An Act To Amend the Laws Concerning Absentee Ballots
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §753-A, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 645, §6, is amended to read:
 
2. Application for state and municipal ballots at same time.   If a municipal election is to be held on the same date as a statewide election, absentee ballots for the municipal and statewide election may be issued in response to the same application unless the municipal ballots are not ready to be issued at the time the statewide ballot is available. The clerk may not delay the issuance of a statewide absentee ballot in order to include a municipal ballot pursuant to this subsection.
Sec. 2.  30-A MRSA §2529, sub-§3  is enacted to read:
 
3.  Deadline for preparation.     If a town election is to be held on the same date as a statewide election, the clerk shall prepare absentee ballots no later than 30 days before the election.
Sec. 3. 30-A MRSA §2554, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is further amended to read:
 
1. Prepared by clerk.   The clerk shall prepare, at the city's expense, the ballots, specimen ballots and instruction posters for use in a city election a reasonable time and as nearly as practicable before each election, in accordance with section 2528, subsection 6. If a city election is to be held on the same date as a statewide election, the clerk shall prepare absentee ballots no later than 30 days before the election.
 
SUMMARY
This bill imposes the same deadline for the preparation of municipal absentee ballots as is imposed on state absentee ballots for municipal and state elections that are held on the same day to facilitate the mailing of absentee ballots.