HB 824 — Election commissioners; authorize per diem for primary and runoff election days and provide for pandemic pay for election commissioners and poll managers.

HB 824 (As PassedSent theto House)Governor) - 2020 Regular Session MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE Regular Session To:

Representative Beckett House Bill 824 (As PassedSent theto House)Governor) AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-153, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE A PER DIEM IN THE AMOUNT OF $150.00 TO ELECTION COMMISSIONERS FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES ON THE DAY OF ANY PRIMARY OR RUNOFF ELECTION IN ADDITION TO ANY GENERAL OR SPECIAL ELECTION;ELECTION AND TO AUTHORIZE AN ADDITIONAL PER DIEM FOR ELECTION COMMISSIONERS FOR ANY ELECTION OCCURRING FROM JULY 1, 2020, THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2020, WHICH SHALL BE ADDITIONAL PANDEMIC PAY;

TO AMEND SECTIONS 23-15-227 AND 23-15-229, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE AN ADDITIONAL PER DIEM FOR COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL POLL MANAGERS FOR ANY ELECTION OCCURRING FROM JULY 1, 2020, THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2020, WHICH SHALL BE ADDITIONAL PANDEMIC PAY AND TO AUTHORIZE THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO PROMULGATE NECESSARY REGULATIONS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF POLL WORKERS AND ELECTORS DURING A COVID-19 EMERGENCY;

          (b) (b) On On the first Tuesday in the month immediately preceding the first primary election for members of Congress in the years when members of Congress are elected;

          (c)  The board of supervisors may, in its discretion, pay the election commissioners an additional amount not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00) for the performance of their duties at any election occurring from July 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020, which shall be considered additional pandemic pay.  Such compensation shall be payable out of the county general fund, and may be payable from federal funds available for such purpose, or a combination of both funding sources.

     (7) (7) In In preparation for a municipal primary, runoff, general or special election, the county registrar shall generate and distribute the master voter roll and pollbooks from the Statewide Elections Management System for the municipality located within the county.  The municipality shall pay the county registrar for the actual cost of preparing and printing the municipal master voter roll pollbooks.  A municipality may secure "read only" access to the Statewide Elections Management System and print its own pollbooks using this information.

     SECTION 2.  ThisSection act23-15-227, shallMississippi takeCode effectof and1972, beis inamended forceas fromfollows: and after July 1, 2020.

     23-15-227.  (1)  The poll managers shall be each entitled to Seventy-five Dollars ($75.00) for each election;

however, the board of supervisors may, in its discretion, pay the poll managers an additional amount not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00) per election.

     (2)  The board of supervisors may, in its discretion, pay the poll managers an additional amount not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00) per any election occurring from July 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020, which shall be considered additional pandemic pay.

     ( * * *23)  The poll manager who shall carry to the place of voting, away from the courthouse, the official ballots, ballot boxes, pollbooks and other necessities, shall be allowed Ten Dollars ($10.00) for each voting precinct for so doing.  The poll manager who acts as returning officer shall be allowed Ten Dollars ($10.00) for each voting precinct for that service.  If a person who performs the duties described in this subsection uses a privately owned motor vehicle to perform them, he or she shall receive for each mile actually and necessarily traveled in excess of ten (10) miles, the mileage reimbursement rate allowable to federal employees for the use of a privately owned vehicle while on official travel.

     ( * * *34)  The compensation authorized in this section shall be allowed by the board of supervisors, and shall be payable out of the county treasury;

provided, however, that any compensation for additional pandemic pay due to a public health emergency may be payable from federal funds available for such purpose, or a combination of both county and federal funding sources.

     ( * * *45)  The compensation provided in this section shall constitute payment in full for the services rendered by the persons named for any election, whether there be one (1) election or issue voted upon, or more than one (1) election or issue voted upon at the same time.

     (6)  The Secretary of State shall promulgate rules and regulations as are necessary to ensure the safety of poll managers, election commissioners, electors and their families at the voting precincts during a COVID-19 public health risk or other public health risk declared by the Governor where the appearance of such persons may result in exposure to such risk or the exposure of other persons to such risk.

     SECTION 3.  Section 23-15-229, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     23-15-229.  The compensation for poll managers and other workers in the polling places of a municipality shall be the same as the compensation paid by the county for those services;

provided, however, that the governing authorities of a municipality shall not be required to pay any additional compensation authorized by the board of supervisors.  The governing authorities of a municipality may, in their discretion, pay clerks and poll managers in the polling places of the municipality an additional amount of compensation not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00) per election and may pay clerks and poll managers in the polling places of the municipality an additional amount of compensation not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00) per any election which occurs from July 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020, which shall be considered additional pandemic pay.  Such compensation shall be payable out of the county general fund, and may be payable from federal funds available for such purpose, or a combination of both funding sources.

     SECTION 4.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2020.