Section 168.720c - Secretary of state implementation and duties; early voting requirements; guidance and instruction to election officials(1) The secretary of state shall supervise the implementation and conduct of early voting required under section 4(1)(m) of article II of the state constitution of 1963 to provide each elector an opportunity to cast a ballot in person before each statewide or federal election.(2) For early voting required under section 4(1)(m) of article II of the state constitution of 1963, the secretary of state shall do all of the following: (a) Issue instructions and procedures to county and municipal election officials on the administration and conduct of early voting.(b) Advise and direct county and municipal election officials on conducting early voting.(c) Develop, acquire, or approve new technology for the early voting poll book to efficiently and securely implement, administer, and conduct early voting.(d) Create a model municipal agreement template and model county agreement template, and ensure that each template can be completed online by a county or municipality.(e) Create model early voting plan templates for municipalities to complete, and ensure that each template can be electronically transmitted to the bureau of elections.(f) Create model countywide early voting plan templates for county clerks to complete, and ensure that each template can be electronically transmitted to the bureau of elections.(g) Evaluate new voting system technology that produces ballots on demand or that may be used to cast and tabulate early voting ballots, and, if appropriate, submit new technology to the board of state canvassers for approval under section 795a.(3) The secretary of state shall provide resources to county and municipal election officials that prevent an elector from intentionally or inadvertently casting more than 1 ballot at an election, including, but not limited to, an elector casting more than 1 ballot at 1 or more early voting sites or an elector casting an absent voter ballot and a ballot at an early voting site. The resources required may be technological, procedural, or a combination of both technological and procedural.(4) The secretary of state shall provide guidance to county and municipal election officials regarding the process for securing equipment and ballots at the conclusion of each day of early voting.(5) The secretary of state shall issue instructions regarding ballots produced by an on-demand ballot printing system and that are subject to challenge.Added by 2023, Act 81,s 9, eff. 2/13/2024.