Rhode Island § 17-20-8 § 17-20-8. Application for ballot.

Rhode Island Statutes

§ 17-20-8 — § 17-20-8. Application for ballot.

Rhode Island § 17-20-8

Title 17Elections

Ch. 17-20Mail Ballots

This text of Rhode Island § 17-20-8 (§ 17-20-8. Application for ballot.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-20-8 (2026).

Text

§ 17-20-8. Application for ballot.
(a) Whenever any person is unable to sign their name because of blindness, disability,
            or inability to read or write, the voter or their assistant shall mark a box to indicate
            the voter cannot sign due to blindness, disability, or inability to read or write
            and include the full name, residence address, signature, and optionally the telephone
            number and e-mail address, of the person who provided assistance to the voter on a
            form provided by the secretary of state. The representation relating to the voter's
            inability to sign shall be made under the pains and penalties of perjury.
         
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§ 17-20-8. Application for ballot.

(a) Whenever any person is unable to sign their name because of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write, the voter or their assistant shall mark a box to indicate the voter cannot sign due to blindness, disability, or inability to read or write and include the full name, residence address, signature, and optionally the telephone number and e-mail address, of the person who provided assistance to the voter on a form provided by the secretary of state. The representation relating to the voter's inability to sign shall be made under the pains and penalties of perjury.

(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 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 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.

(e) Voters shall be able to apply for a mail ballot electronically through the voter registration portal established by § 17-20-2.3.

Legislative History

P.L. 1978, ch. 258, § 2; P.L. 1980, ch. 407, § 1; P.L. 1981, ch. 156, § 1; P.L. 1983, ch. 172, § 10; P.L. 1984, ch. 391, § 1; P.L. 1985, ch. 161, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 351, § 2; P.L. 1999, ch. 358, § 1; P.L. 2001, ch. 56, § 1; P.L. 2001, ch. 121, § 1; P.L. 2018, ch. 55, § 1; P.L. 2018, ch. 58, § 1; P.L. 2022, ch. 45, § 5, effective June 7, 2022; P.L. 2022, ch. 46, § 5, effective June 7, 2022; P.L. 2024, ch. 191, § 1, effective June 17, 2024; P.L. 2024, ch. 192, § 1, effective June 17, 2024.