115.024.  Elections rescheduled or relocated due to disaster, definition — election panel established — petition to reschedule or relocate, contents — order — notice, contents — ballots — procedures — appeal. — 1.  As used in this section, "disaster" means any catastrophic or natural disaster, statewide or nationwide emergency, man-made disaster, civil disorder, insurgency, bioterrorism attack, terrorist attack, or enemy attack.

  2.  The supreme court shall by rule establish a panel in each district of each court of appeals of the state to consider petitions filed under this section.  Each panel shall consist of three court of appeals judges from such district, and shall be known as the "election panel" of the district in which it is established.

  3.  In the event that any disaster prohibits any election from occurring on the day the election is required to be held under this chapter, the election authority of the city or county in which the election was to be held may petition the election panel of the district in which the city or county is located for the election panel to authorize a relocation of the polling places affected by such disaster, or to schedule a new date upon which the election authority may conduct the election.  The petition shall include the following:

  (1)  A description of the event prohibiting the election from occurring;

  (2)  A statement of the reasons the election cannot be held on the day required by law;

  (3)  The election authority's recommendation for relocation of the polling places or the new date upon which the election shall be held;

  (4)  A statement of the plan for providing notice to voters of the new location or new date of the election;

  (5)  A statement that the election authority will be able to conduct the election at the recommended location or on the recommended new date in the same manner as the election would have been conducted had the disaster not occurred.

  4.  If satisfied that the election authority will be unable to conduct the election as required by this chapter and that the recommended relocation of the polling places or new date of the election will allow voters to vote as provided by law, the election panel shall issue an order to the election authority to relocate the polling places or to conduct the election on the new date as set by the election panel.

  5.  The election authority shall provide notice to all voters in the election authority's jurisdiction in the same manner as required for elections by this chapter, provided that the requirements for the date and time of providing such notice in this chapter shall not apply.  Notice of the election shall include a copy of the order issued by the election panel.

  6.  The election authority may use the same ballots that were printed for the election that was relocated or rescheduled under this section, unless such ballots were damaged, destroyed, lost, or spoiled by the disaster.

  7.  All procedures for voting, counting of votes, and contesting elections required under this section shall apply to any election relocated or rescheduled under this section, provided that any requirements for deadlines under this chapter that cannot be met because of the relocation or rescheduling of the election shall be rescheduled by the election panel.

  8.  The election authority may appeal any order issued by the election panel under this section to the supreme court, and the supreme court shall hear such appeal immediately.