1. (a) The State Board shall establish guidelines for the administration of absentee voting by the local boards.

2. (b) The guidelines shall provide for:

   1. (1) the application process;
   2. (2) late application for absentee ballots;
   3. (3) ballot security, including storage of returned ballots;
   4. (4) determining timeliness of receipt of applications and ballots, including applications and ballots for overseas voters;
   5. (5) the canvass process;
   6. (6) notice of the canvass to candidates, political parties, campaign organizations, news media, and the general public;
   7. (7) observers of the process;
   8. (8) review of voted ballots and envelopes for compliance with the law and for machine tabulation acceptability;
   9. (9) standards for disallowance of ballots during the canvass;
   10. (10) storage and retention of ballots following canvass and certification; and
   11. (11) the permanent absentee ballot list.

3. (c) The State Board shall:

   1. (1) in consultation with the local boards, assess the guidelines before each primary election; and
   2. (2) revise the guidelines if indicated.

Added as Art. 33, § 9-303, by Acts 1998, c. 585, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1999. Transferred to Election Law § 9-303 by Acts 2002, c. 291, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 2003. Amended by Acts 2002, c. 291, § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 2003; Acts 2021, c. 56, § 1, eff. June 1, 2021; Acts 2021, c. 514, § 1, eff. June 1, 2021.

Formerly Art. 33, § 9-303.