SB 802 — Establishing system for tracking receipt and status of absentee voter ballots

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION IntroducedCommittee Substitute for Senate Bill 802 By Senator Woodrum [Introduced[Reported March 18,24, 2025;2025, from the Committee on Government Organization] CS for SB 802 A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §3-3-11a, relating to establishing a system for tracking the receipt and status of absent voter ballots;

referred to the Committee on Government Organization;

and then to the Committee on the Judiciary] Intr S802 2025R3763 A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §3-3-11a, relating to establishing a system for tracking the receipt and status of absent voter ballots;

allowing voters to receive notices by theiremail; method of choice;

and declaring voter email addresses and telephone numbers to be confidential and not subject to public disclosure.

confidentiality of voter email addressaddress. and telephone number.

For each voter who votes by absent voter ballot at an election.election, the electronic tracking system described in this subsection shall indicate all of the following:

the electronic tracking system described in this subsection shall indicate all of the following:

(B) Instructions for curing the issue with the absent voter's ballot application;

and (C) If the issue with the voter's absent voter ballot application is cured by the voter and the absent voter ballot application is accepted by the officials designated to supervise and conduct absentee voting, an update that the voter's absent voter application was accepted and the date of Intr1 S802CS 2025R3763for SB 802 the acceptance.acceptance;

(b) A voter shall be permitted to opt in to receive notifications fromregarding thehis electronic tracking system by email, text message, or bothher emailabsent andvoter textballot message.by email.

If a voter opts in under the provisions of this subsection, each time any of the events described in subsection (a) of this Intr S802 2025R3763 section occurs regarding that voter's absent voter ballot 2 CS for SB 802 application, absent voter ballot return envelope, or absent voter ballot, the electronicofficials trackingdesignated systemto supervise and conduct absentee voting shall immediately notify that voter of the event by email,email. text message, or both email and text message, as requested by that voter.

(c) An email address or telephone number provided by a voter in order to receive notifications fromregarding thehis electronicor trackingher systemabsent voter ballot shall be used only by authorized individuals who have access to the qualified voter file or by individuals authorized by the secretarySecretary of stateState to maintain the electronic tracking system, and is confidential and exempt from disclosure under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act describedestablished in §29B-1-1 et seq.

NOTE:

The purpose of this bill is to establish an absent voter ballot tracking system to display the status of early ballots and absent voter ballots to voters.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.