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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR:	Duran		DATE TYPED:	02/06/01		HB
SHORT TITLE:		Early Processing of Absentee Ballots				SB	299
					ANALYST:		Woodlee

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY01

FY02

FY01

FY02

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Secretary of State

LFC Files

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 299 amends Section 1-6-14 NMSA 1978 to provide that no member of the absent voter precinct board shall open an official "inner" envelope or count and canvass any absentee ballot prior to the day of the election. This allows the member to open the "outer" envelope in order to alphabetize, enter on the roster and sort the absentee ballots by legislative district.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

There is no appropriation or significant fiscal implication associated with this bill.

MW/ar