Amends TCA Title 2; Title 3; Title 4; Title 8; Title 16 and Title 17.

This bill prohibits the various officials from accepting funding or contributions, including in kind-contributions for the purpose of conducting an election in this state unless certain exceptions apply, as follows: (1) The state election commission and state election officials and employees, unless the funding or contribution originates from: (A) An approved federal or state budget, appropriation, or grant. The secretary of state and each member and employee of the state election commission must annually disclose to the state ethics commission an itemized list of any funds or contributions accepted for the purposes of conducting an election in this state that were accepted from a source other than those described in this (1)(A); or (B) A nongovernmental entity and the funding or contribution is: approved by joint resolution of the general assembly if in session or approved by the governor, speaker of the senate, speaker of the house of representatives, the secretary of state, the comptroller of the treasury, and the treasurer if the general assembly is not in session; and (2) A county election commission, county, or municipality, including individual commissioners, officials, and employees, unless the funding or contribution originates from: (A) An approved federal, state or local government budget, appropriation, or grant. Each county election commission, individual commissioner of a commission, and each employee of a commission, county, or municipality must annually disclose to the state ethics commission an itemized list of any funds or contributions accepted for the purpose of conducting an election in this state that were accepted from a source other than those described in this (2)(A); or (B) A nongovernmental entity and the funding or contribution is: approved by joint resolution of the general assembly if in session or approved by the governor, speaker of the senate, speaker of the house of representatives, the secretary of state, the comptroller of the treasury, and the treasurer if the general assembly is not in session. ON APRIL 26, 2021, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1315, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to require that absentee ballots, other than ballots authorized by state or federal law to be delivered electronically to qualified voters who are entitled to vote by absentee ballot, include a watermark approved by the coordinator of elections. The watermark must appear on the sample ballot that the county election commission provides to the coordinator of elections for approval, but must not appear on sample ballots that are provided to the public. Under present law, signature verification is the final verification necessary before a counting board counts absentee ballots. Under this amendment, signature verification will remain part of the verification process but will not be the final verification. This amendment requires a counting board official to verify that the absentee ballots contain the watermark and reject any ballot that does not bear the watermark. The provisions of this amendment take effect January 1, 2022.