2019 -- S 0608

========

LC001942

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

____________

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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

as in other cases.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC001942

========

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

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

AND SUPPLIES

***

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

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

election supervisors.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC001942

========

LC001942 - Page 2 of 2