2019 -- S 0608

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LC001942

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- CONDUCT OF ELECTION AND VOTING EQUIPMENT,

AND SUPPLIES

     

     Introduced By: Senators Metts, Crowley, Quezada, Cano, and DiPalma

     Date Introduced: March 14, 2019

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     (Board of Elections)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 17-19-30 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-19 entitled "Conduct

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of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     17-19-30. Voters who register by making a mark rather than signature.

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     Any voter who has registered by making his or her mark rather than his or her signature,

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or who shall be physically unable to sign his or her name at the time of offering himself or herself

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to vote, shall identify himself or herself by correctly answering any questions put to him or her by

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the supervisors that may test the voter's knowledge of the information recorded on the voter's

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registration card. In that case, the bipartisan pair of supervisors shall complete a ballot application

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for the voter and shall make and annex to this ballot application an affidavit that they identified

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the voter in the manner authorized by this section. with proof of identity as required under ยง 17-

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19-24.2. They shall permit the voter to affix the voter's mark to the application on the electronic

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pollbook in their presence and shall record their approval on the application electronic pollbook

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as in other cases.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC001942

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- CONDUCT OF ELECTION AND VOTING EQUIPMENT,

AND SUPPLIES

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     This act would allow voters making a mark rather than signature to vote with proof of

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identity by affirming their mark to the electronic pollbook without need for an affidavit by

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election supervisors.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC001942

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