| Chapter 231 |
| 2025 -- H 5709 Enacted 06/24/2025 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- MAIL BALLOTS |
Introduced By: Representatives Serpa, and Fellela |
| Date Introduced: February 26, 2025 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 17-20-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-20 entitled "Mail Ballots" |
| is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 17-20-9. Application by permanently disabled or incapacitated voters and nursing |
| home residents. Application to be placed on the permanent mail ballot application list. |
| (a) A voter who is indefinitely confined because of physical illness or infirmity or is |
| disabled for an indefinite period or who is a long-term resident in a nursing home, may, by signing |
| an affidavit to that effect an application, may request that a mail ballot application be sent to him |
| or herthe voter automatically for every election. The affidavit form application and instructions |
| shall be prescribed by the secretary of state, and furnished upon request to any elector by each local |
| board of canvassers. The envelope containing the mail ballot application shall be clearly marked as |
| not forwardable. If any elector is no longer an eligible voter indefinitely confined or is no longer |
| residing in a nursing home, he or shethe elector shall notify the clerk of the local board of |
| canvassers of this fact. The clerk local board shall remove the name of any voter from the mailing |
| list established under this section upon receipt of reliable information that a voter no longer |
| qualifies for the service. The voter shall be notified of the action within five (5) days after the board |
| takes the action. |
| (b) The affidavit form application and instructions prescribed in this section shall be mailed |
| to the applicant along with a stamped return envelope addressed to the local boards of canvassers. |
| The secretary of state may process applications pursuant to this section through the online mail |
| ballot application portal established by § 17-20-2.3. |
| (c) For purposes of this section, “nursing home” refers to facilities defined and licensed by |
| the department of health. “Long-term” excludes any residents temporarily residing in such a facility |
| for rehabilitation. |
| (d) The secretary of state shall maintain a list in the central voter registration system of all |
| voters who automatically receive applications for mail ballots, pursuant to this section. |
| (e) [Expires December 31, 2025.] Eligible disabled voters shall be entitled to electronically |
| receive and return their mail ballot, using the same electronic transmission system as that used by |
| voters covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). This |
| electronic process shall satisfy the federal Rehabilitation Act, section 508 concerning accessibility |
| standards. |
| (f) [Expires December 31, 2025.] For purposes of this section, “eligible disabled voter” |
| means a person with disabilities eligible to vote who is incapacitated to such an extent that it would |
| be an undue hardship to vote at the polls because of illness, mental or physical disability, blindness, |
| or a serious impairment of mobility. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
| ======== |
| LC001962 |
| ======== |