| Chapter 058 |
| 2018 -- S 2798 Enacted 06/25/2018 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- MAIL BALLOTS |
| Introduced By: Senator Dawn M. Euer |
| Date Introduced: April 05, 2018 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Sections 17-20-8 and 17-20-25 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-20 |
| entitled "Mail Ballots" are hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 17-20-8. Application for ballot. |
| (a) Whenever any person is unable to sign his or her name because of physical incapacity |
| or otherwise, that person shall make his or her mark "X". |
| (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter as to time and manner thereof, it |
| shall be the duty of the applicant to cause the mail ballot application or the emergency mail ballot |
| application, as the case may be, to be processed by the local board so that the applicant may |
| receive the ballot, cast it, and cause delivery thereof to be made to the state board not later than |
| nine o'clock (9:00) eight o'clock (8:00) p.m. on the date of election. |
| (c) The local board shall maintain a separate list of names and addresses of all applicants |
| and their subscribing witnesses and a copy of the list shall be made available for inspection to any |
| person upon request. |
| (d) Any person knowingly and willfully making a false application or certification or |
| knowingly and willfully aiding and abetting in the making of a false application or certification |
| shall be guilty of a felony. |
| 17-20-25. Return of unused ballots. |
| Every voter who has received a mail ballot and has not cast it shall nevertheless return the |
| unvoted ballot and its uncertified enclosing envelope to the state board or local board with a |
| statement that the voter is not using the mail ballot, before nine o'clock (9:00) eight o'clock (8:00) |
| p.m. on election day. |
| SECTION 2. Section 17-22-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-22 entitled "Tabulation |
| and Certification of Returns by State Board" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 17-22-1. Commencement and continuance of tabulations. |
| The state board shall commence the counting, canvassing, and tabulating of all votes cast, |
| including mail ballots, at nine o'clock (9:00) eight o'clock (8:00) p.m. on any election day at |
| which mail ballots may be cast and within twenty-four (24) hours after any other election or |
| primary, and shall continue and complete the tabulation with all reasonable expedition by using |
| an optical scan count system. |
| SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC005319 |
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