2020 Rhode Island General Laws
Title 17 - Elections
Chapter 17-19 Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies
Section 17-19-26.1 Voting assistance.
§ 17-19-26.1. Voting assistance.
(a) Any voter who requires assistance to vote by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write may be given assistance by a person of the voter's choice, other than the voter's employer or agent of that employer, or an officer or agent of the voter's union.
(b) Every voter who requires assistance pursuant to this section, and every person furnishing assistance to a voter pursuant to this section, shall make and file with the warden an affidavit in substantially the following form:
Under the penalty prescribed by law I hereby make affidavit that
I, ............................................................, of ............................................................
Print Name of Voter Street Address of Voter
........................................, hereby choose ..................................................
City/Town of Voter Print Name of Assistant
to provide assistance to me because I am either blind, disabled or unable to read or write in the English language and do hereby certify that the person chosen to assist me is not my employer, or agent of my employer, or officer or agent of my union.
..............................
Signature of Voter
Under the penalty prescribed by law I hereby make affidavit that
I, ........................................................................................................................, of
Print Name of Person Assisting Voter
........................................................................................................................
Street and City/Town Address of Person Assisting Voter
having been chosen by ............................................................
Print Name of Voter
to provide assistance to voter by reason of either blindness, disability or inability to read or write in the English language on the part of the voter, do hereby certify that I am not the voter's employer, or agent of that employer, or officer or agent of the voter's union.
...........................................................
Signature of Person Assisting Voter
Subscribed and sworn to on this .......... day of .................. A.D. 20.......................
..............................
Signature of Warden
Voter's Ballot Application No. ..........
(c) An affidavit will be made available only upon request by the voter to the warden in the polling place.
(d) Every person who makes a false affidavit under this section shall be guilty of a felony.
(e) Under the penalty prescribed by law, the "assistant" is prohibited from marking a vote on the computer ballot, unless otherwise requested by the voter who, due to a physical disability, is unable to mark his or her ballot.
(f) No person may approach a voter and ask if he or she needs assistance, once the voter is within the voting place or waiting in line to vote or within fifty (50) feet of the entrance or entrances to the building as prescribed in § 17-19-49.
History of Section.
(P.L. 1988, ch. 176, § 2; P.L. 1991, ch. 293, § 1; P.L. 1996, ch. 277, § 12; P.L. 1996, ch. 298, § 12; P.L. 1999, ch. 83, § 40; P.L. 1999, ch. 130, § 40.)
