Senate Bill 40

Chair's Name: David Ralston

Committee: Judiciary Non Civil

Senate Sponsor: Cecil Staton

House Sponsor: John Lunsford

SB 40 punishes as a felony any fraudulent activity related to absentee voting.  Any person convicted of false registration, fraudulent entries, interference with primaries and elections generally, intimidation of electors, influencing an elector while assisting, voting by an unqualified elector, voting in more than one precinct, voting by an unqualified elector, or frauds by poll workers including permitting unqualified or unregistered persons to vote shall be guilty of a felony and subject to one to ten years in prison, a fine not to exceed $100,000.00 or both.

This bill received a Do Pass recommendation from the Judiciary Non Civil Committee and comes to the House Floor under the Modified Structured Rule. 

Chairman Ralston�s opinion of this legislation:

WHAT PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY DOES THIS LEGISLATION ADDRESS?

Increasing the penalties for certain election related offenses

WHAT IS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THIS LEGISLATION?

Inconsistencies in penalty provisions for election related offenses