AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- MAIL BALLOTS (Entitles disabled and military voters to utilize electronically transmitted ballots.)

H7007aa

2026 -- H 7007 AS AMENDED
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LC003125
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- MAIL BALLOTS

Introduced By:
Representatives O'Brien, Shanley, Solomon, Dawson, Biah, McEntee,

Date Introduced:
January 07, 2026

Referred To:
House State Government & Elections
(Secretary of State)
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Sections 17-20-6.1 and 17-20-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-20 entitled
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"Mail Ballots" are hereby amended to read as follows:
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17-20-6.1. Alternative methods of voting by citizens covered by the Uniformed and
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Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and other citizens residing outside the
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United States. [Effective December 31, 2025.]
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(a) It is the intent and purpose that the provisions set forth in this section are designed to
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facilitate the federal mandate of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act
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(UOCAVA), 52 U.S.C. § 20301 et seq.
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(b) The Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) may be used as a request for an absentee
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ballot by:
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(1) A member of the armed forces who is absent from the state by reason of being in active
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service;
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(2) Any person absent from the state in performance of “services intimately connected with
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military operations” as defined in § 17-20-3(d);
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(3) Any person who is employed outside of the United States as defined in § 17-20-3(c);
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and
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(4) Any person who does not qualify under subparagraph (1), (2), or (3) above, but who is
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a citizen of the United States and absent from the state and residing outside the United States as
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described in chapter 21.1 of this title.

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(c) The single FPCA card shall permit the person to request an absentee ballot for each
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primary and election through the next general election for federal office or for the time period
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specified by federal law in which the voter is eligible to vote.
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(d) The FPCA card must be received by the local board of canvassers where the person last
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maintains his or her residence for voting purposes within the time frame for applying for absentee
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ballots as set forth in this title.
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(e) If the FPCA, when used in accordance with this section, is sent by the voter through
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electronic transmission, it must be sent to the secretary of state and it must be received by the
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secretary of state by the deadline for applying for absentee ballots as set forth in this title. The
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secretary of state shall then forward the FPCA to the appropriate local authority who shall
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immediately certify and return the FPCA to the secretary of state with the notation that the
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corresponding ballots shall be sent by mail and electronic transmission.
The secretary of state shall
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transmit ballots only to the facsimile number provided by the Federal Voter Assistance Program.
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The secretary of state shall approve electronically transmitted ballots to and from eligible
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voters only through a service or solution that meets the following requirements:
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(1) The system has had one or more independent security reviews;
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(2) Demonstrates the system meets the National Institute of Standards and Technology
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(NIST) Cybersecurity Framework guidelines or federal cybersecurity framework guidelines of a
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successor designated federal agency or organization; and
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(3) Approved by the secretary of state.
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The ballots sent by electronic transmission shall be returned to the state board by electronic
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transmission. These ballots will be counted at the state board in accordance with rules and
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regulations promulgated by the state board.
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(f) The voter’s signature on the FPCA does not need to be witnessed or notarized, when
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the FPCA is submitted as provided in this section.
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(g) If a voter is casting a mail ballot received through the use of the FPCA card as provided
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in this section, the voter’s signature does not need to be witnessed or notarized on the certifying
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envelope used for the return of the voted mail ballot.
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17-20-9. Application to be placed on the permanent mail ballot application list.
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(a) A voter, by signing an application, may request that a mail ballot application be sent to
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the voter automatically for every election. The application and instructions shall be prescribed by
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the secretary of state, and furnished upon request to any elector by each local board of canvassers.
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The envelope containing the mail ballot application shall be clearly marked as not forwardable. If
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any elector is no longer an eligible voter the elector shall notify the local board of canvassers of

LC003125 - Page 2 of 4
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this fact. The local board shall remove the name of any voter from the mailing list established under
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this section upon receipt of reliable information that a voter no longer qualifies for the service. The
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voter shall be notified of the action within five (5) days after the board takes the action.
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(b) The application and instructions prescribed in this section shall be mailed to the
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applicant along with a stamped return envelope addressed to the local boards of canvassers. The
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secretary of state may process applications pursuant to this section through the online mail ballot
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application portal established by § 17-20-2.3.
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(c) [Deleted by P.L. 2025, ch. 231, § 1 and P.L. 2025, ch. 232, § 1.]
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(d) The secretary of state shall maintain a list in the central voter registration system of all
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voters who automatically receive applications for mail ballots, pursuant to this section.
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(e) [Expires December 31, 2025.] Eligible disabled voters shall be entitled to electronically
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receive and return their mail ballot, using the same electronic transmission system as that used by
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voters covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). This
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electronic process shall satisfy the federal Rehabilitation Act, section 508 concerning accessibility
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standards.
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(f) [Expires December 31, 2025.] For purposes of this section, “eligible disabled voter”
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means a person with disabilities eligible to vote who is incapacitated to such an extent that it would
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be an undue hardship to vote at the polls because of illness, mental or physical disability, blindness,
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or a serious impairment of mobility.
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(g) Eligible disabled voters shall be entitled to electronically receive and return their mail
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ballot, using the same electronic transmission system as that used by voters covered by the
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Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. (UOCAVA). This electronic process shall
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satisfy the federal Rehabilitation Act, section 508 concerning accessibility standards.
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(h) For purposes of this section, "eligible disabled voter" means a person with disabilities
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eligible to vote who certifies, subject to the provisions of §§ 17-20-8(d) and 17-26-1, that they are
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incapacitated to such an extent that it would be an undue hardship to vote at the polls because of
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illness, mental or physical disability, blindness, or a serious impairment of mobility.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- MAIL BALLOTS
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This act would allow eligible disabled and military voters to continue to utilize
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electronically transmitted ballots as originally enacted in 2022.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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