§ 17-20-2.2. Requirements for validity of emergency mail ballots.
(a) Any legally qualified elector of this state whose name appears upon the official voting
list of the town or district of the city or town where the elector is so qualified
is eligible to vote by emergency mail ballot according to this chapter. Within twenty
(20) days or less prior to any election, the elector may obtain from the local board
an application for an emergency mail ballot or may complete an emergency in-person
mail ballot application on an electronic poll pad at the board of canvassers where
the elector maintains his or her residence.
(b) The emergency mail ballot application, when duly executed, shall be delivered in person
or by mail so that it shall be received by the local board, or received electronically
through the portal established by § 17-20-2.3, not later than four o'clock (4:00) p.m. on the last day preceding the date of the
election.
(c) The elector shall execute the emergency mail ballot application in accordance with
the requirements of this chapter.
(d) In addition to those requirements set forth elsewhere in this chapter, an emergency
mail ballot, except those emergency mail ballots being cast pursuant to subsection
(g) of this section, in order to be valid, must have been cast in conformance with
the following procedures:
(1) All mail ballots issued pursuant to § 17-20-2(1) shall be mailed to the elector at the state of Rhode Island address provided on the
application by the office of the secretary of state, or delivered by the local board
to a person presenting written authorization from the elector to receive the ballots,
or cast in private at the local board of canvassers. In order to be valid, the voter
must affix his or her signature on the certifying envelope containing a voted ballot.
In order to be valid, all ballots sent to the elector at the board of canvassers must
be voted in conformance with the provisions of § 17-20-14.2.
(2) All applications for emergency mail ballots pursuant to § 17-20-2(2) must state under oath the name and location of the hospital, convalescent home, nursing
home, or similar institution where the elector is confined. All mail ballots issued
pursuant to this subdivision shall be delivered to the elector by the bipartisan pair
of supervisors, appointed in conformance with this chapter, and shall be voted in
conformance with the provisions of § 17-20-14.
(3) All mail ballots issued pursuant to § 17-20-2(3) shall be mailed by the office of the secretary of state to the elector at an address
provided by the elector on the application, or cast at the board of canvassers in
the city or town where the elector maintains his or her voting residence. Any voter
qualified to receive a mail ballot pursuant to § 17-20-2(3) shall also be entitled to cast a ballot pursuant to the provisions of United States
Public Law 99-410, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).
(4) All mail ballots issued pursuant to § 17-20-2(4) shall be cast at the board of canvassers in the city or town where the elector maintains
his or her voting residence or mailed by the office of the secretary of state to the
elector at the address within the United States provided by the elector on the application,
or delivered to the voter by a person presenting written authorization by the voter
to pick up the ballot. In order to be valid, the voter must affix his or her signature
on all certifying envelopes containing a voted ballot. In order to be valid, all ballots
sent to the elector at the board of canvassers must be voted in conformance with the
provisions of § 17-20-14.2.
(e) The secretary of state shall provide each of the several boards of canvassers with
a sufficient number of mail ballots for their voting districts so that the local boards
may provide the appropriate ballot or ballots to the applicants. It shall be the duty
of each board of canvassers to process each emergency ballot application in accordance
with this chapter, and it shall be the duty of each board to return to the secretary
of state any ballots not issued immediately after each election.
(f) 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 and shall be subject to the penalties provided
for in § 17-26-1.
(g) An emergency mail ballot application may be completed in person using an electronic
poll pad provided by the board of canvassers upon presentation by the voter of valid
proof of identity pursuant to § 17-19-24.2. Upon completion of the poll pad application, the voter shall be provided with a
ballot issued by the secretary of state and upon completion of the ballot by the voter,
the voter shall place the ballot into the state-approved electronic voting device,
provided by the board of elections and secured in accordance with a policy adopted
by the board of elections.