E Modifying and clarifying certain elections provisions; eliminating the responsibility of county auditors to execute certificates of election to the legislature; providing for the determination of residence in cases of home destruction by fire or natural disaster; modifying the penalties for out of precinct voting, specifying certain county auditor notice of violation and voter status change requirements; requiring the county auditor to remove voter records from the statewide registration system upon written request of the voter; modifying certain absentee voting provisions; prohibiting the solicitation of the votes of absentee voters in the process of voting and the alteration of signed absentee ballot applications; authorizing absentee ballot applications to contain a request for date of birth, confidentiality requirement; modifying the certificate of eligibility statement signature requirement; specifying a deadline for delivery of the return envelope in person or by agent; requiring the county auditor to designate absentee polling places a certain number of days before the election; modifying the county auditor office open time requirements for accepting absentee ballot applications and ballots and imposing certain open time requirements on town clerk offices; modifying certain deadlines for the delivery of absentee ballots to voters in health care facilities, prohibiting the designation of election candidates as agents; requiring the secretary of state to adopt rules governing election petitions; eliminating judicial district offices from petition signature requirements; modifying the requirement for the secretary of state to provide precinct maps to county auditors; requiring county boards to appoint election judges to perform election related duties assigned by the county auditor; expanding the voter information telephone line availability requirement; requiring the maintenance of voter receipts during the time for notice of filing election contests; requiring the preparation of a certain number of copies of summary statements prepared for elections not held on state election days; expanding certain election certificate preparation requirements of the secretary of state; modifying certain requirements for the placement of candidate names on certain ballots; expanding the general election date option of metropolitan area towns to all towns; modifying certain restrictions on the holding of certain local special elections and modifying certain procedural time limits; providing for the canvassing of returns for town general elections conducted in March; modifying certain duties of election judges relating to the securing of voting machines after poll closings; providing for preparations for special elections resulting from public office resignations; specifying a time limit for submittal of proposed city charter amendments; modifying the term of elective officers in statutory cities; modifying certain ballot requirements for hospital district elections; requiring and providing for the lengthening or shortening of the terms of office of soil and water conservation district supervisors; repealing certain provisions providing for the use of electronic voting systems for absentee voting and for the election of town officers at annual town meetings (mk, ja)