§ 17-19-8.1. Ballots for voters who are blind, visually impaired, or disabled.
(a) Any voter who is blind or visually impaired or disabled is eligible to request a special
ballot for voting by mail ballot. Special mail ballots are available in braille or
tactile format.
(b) Requests must be made in writing to the local board of canvassers where the person
is registered to vote or through the electronic voter registration portal established
by §§ 17-20-2.3 and 17-20-8 at least twenty-one (21) days before the election for which the voter is requesting
the special ballot. In addition, the request will be valid for all elections held
during the calendar year in which the request was received and in which the voter
is eligible to participate. Applicants must also file the appropriate mail ballot
application as required by chapter 20 of this title for each election in which they
wish to participate.
(c) The office of the secretary of state shall prepare and provide the appropriate form,
which shall be available at local boards and upon request from the office of the secretary
of state. The voter may also choose to submit his or her request in writing without
using the form provided, as long as the communication contains all of the required
information. The request shall include the following information:
(1) The name and registered address of the voter;
(2) A daytime telephone number;
(3) An indication of whether this request is for the entire calendar year or only for
the next upcoming election;
(4) The voter's political party affiliation, if the request for a special ballot is also
for primaries; and
(5) Indicate the special ballot format.
(d) All requests received by local boards must be processed and forwarded to the office
of the secretary of state within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt. The secretary
of state shall maintain a list of all persons requesting special braille or tactile
mail ballots and must forward a copy of the list to the state board of elections at
least eighteen (18) days before the date of any election.
(e) The state board may adopt rules and regulations for the procedure for the manual reproduction
of voted ballots, when necessary, and the tabulation of braille and tactile mail ballots.
(f) The office of the secretary of state shall be responsible for the preparation and
distribution of special braille and tactile mail ballots. Whenever possible, the secretary
of state shall prepare the braille or tactile mail ballot so that the voted ballot
can be read by the tabulation equipment, rather than being manually reproduced by
election officials onto a machine readable ballot.
(g) The office of the secretary of state may adopt rules and regulations setting forth
the procedure for the preparation and distribution of the braille and tactile mail
ballots.
(h) The office of the secretary of state shall prepare and publish a guide describing
the types of ballots available and the manner in which each ballot can be voted. This
guide shall be revised whenever the types of ballots available are updated. This guide
shall be available in print, braille, audio, or other accessible formats.
(i) The office of the secretary of state shall establish a special braille and tactile
ballot program for voters who are blind or visually impaired. The office of the secretary
of state shall expand the special ballot service to other voters with disabilities,
as feasible, as determined by the secretary of state, and incorporate other accessible
formats as technology and resources allow.
(j) In accordance with the Help America Vote Act of 2002, the voting system at each polling
place shall be accessible for individuals with disabilities, including nonvisual accessibility
for the blind and visually impaired, in a manner that provides the same opportunity
for access and participation as for other voters.