32-947. Ballot to vote early; delivery; procedure; identification envelope; instructions.

(1) Upon receipt of an application or other request for a ballot to vote early, the election commissioner or county clerk shall determine whether the applicant is a registered voter and is entitled to vote as requested. If the election commissioner or county clerk determines that the applicant is a registered voter entitled to vote early and the application was received not later than the close of business on the second Friday preceding the election, the election commissioner or county clerk shall deliver a ballot to the applicant in person or by mail, postage paid. The election commissioner or county clerk or any employee of the election commissioner or county clerk shall write or cause to be affixed his or her customary signature or initials on the ballot.

(2) An unsealed identification envelope shall be delivered with the ballot, and upon the back of the envelope shall be printed a form substantially as follows:

VOTER'S OATH

I, the undersigned voter, declare that the enclosed ballot or ballots contained no voting marks of any kind when I received them, and I caused the ballot or ballots to be marked, enclosed in the identification envelope, and sealed in such envelope.

To the best of my knowledge and belief, I declare under penalty of election falsification that:

(a) I, .................., am a registered voter in .................. County;

(b) I reside in the State of Nebraska at ..................;

(c) I have voted the enclosed ballot and am returning it in compliance with Nebraska law; and

(d) I have not voted and will not vote in this election except by this ballot.

ANY PERSON WHO SIGNS THIS FORM KNOWING THAT ANY OF THE INFORMATION IN THE FORM IS FALSE SHALL BE GUILTY OF ELECTION FALSIFICATION, A CLASS IV FELONY UNDER SECTION 32-1502 OF THE STATUTES OF NEBRASKA. THE PENALTY FOR ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS IMPRISONMENT FOR UP TO TWO YEARS AND TWELVE MONTHS POST-RELEASE SUPERVISION OR A FINE NOT TO EXCEED TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS, OR BOTH.

I also understand that failure to sign below will invalidate my ballot.

Signature ........................................

(3) If the ballot and identification envelope will be returned by mail or by someone other than the voter, the election commissioner or county clerk shall include with the ballot an identification envelope upon the face of which shall be printed the official title and post office address of the election commissioner or county clerk.

(4) The election commissioner or county clerk shall also enclose with the ballot materials:

(a) A registration application, if the election commissioner or county clerk has determined that the applicant is not a registered voter pursuant to section 32-945, with instructions that failure to return the completed and signed application indicating the residence address as it appears on the voter's request for a ballot to the election commissioner or county clerk by the close of the polls on election day will result in the ballot not being counted;

(b) A registration application and the oath pursuant to section 32-946, if the voter is without a residence address, with instructions that the residence address of the voter shall be deemed that of the office of the election commissioner or county clerk of the county of the voter's prior residence and that failure to return the completed and signed application and oath to the election commissioner or county clerk by the close of the polls on election day will result in the ballot not being counted; or

(c) Written instructions directing the voter to submit a copy of an identification document pursuant to section 32-318.01 if the voter is required to present identification under such section and advising the voter that failure to submit identification to the election commissioner or county clerk by the close of the polls on election day will result in the ballot not being counted.

(5) The election commissioner or county clerk may enclose with the ballot materials a separate return envelope for the voter's use in returning his or her identification envelope containing the voted ballot, registration application, and other materials that may be required.

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