Bill > A2806

Introduced Session

This bill requires the availability of an accessible mail-in ballot for voters with disabilities. Under current law, registered voters may apply to vote by mail and may receive a mail-in ballot to be completed by hand. Although the law prohibits any person other than the voter to complete the ballot, the law allows persons who need assistance in completing the mail-in ballot to have a family member provide them that assistance. Under this bill, the county clerk would be required to provide an accessible mail-in ballot for any voter with a disability that requests one, provided the voter is registered to vote and is entitled to vote in that county in this State. The bill requires the accessible mail-ballot to contain features to enable a voter with a disability to understand the contents of the ballot, mark-up voting choices, make changes, verify the final voting choices made on the ballot, complete the ballot, and print the completed ballot and related materials such as certificates and envelopes. The bill specifies key features of the accessible mail-in ballot. These would include, but would not be limited to, electronic delivery and access; readability with guided audible prompts; readability of the ballot using a voter's own braille display device; ability to mark the ballot reflecting the voter's selections; confirmation of the voter's selections prior to final completion; ability to print the ballot and related materials or to generate an electronic file for printing and submitting to the county board of elections at a later date; ability to return the ballot by electronic means if the voter is eligible to do so; clear and comprehensive instructions; and any additional features deemed necessary. Upon completion, the voter would then submit their ballot and necessary materials by mail, in person, or using a ballot drop box in the manner provided under current law. If the voter is "electronic return eligible," the voter would be permitted to return the mail-in ballot by electronic means. Under the bill, "electronic return eligible" means a voter who, regardless of any other disability: is blind; has a visual impairment or perceptual or reading disability that cannot be improved to give visual function substantially equivalent to that of a person who has no such impairment or disability and therefore is unable to read or mark a ballot to substantially the same degree as a person without an impairment or disability; or is otherwise unable, through physical disability, to hold, mark, or manipulate a ballot or to focus or move the eyes to the extent that would be normally acceptable for reading or marking a ballot. Finally, the Secretary of State, in consultation with county clerks and county boards of elections, is directed to issue uniform guidelines for election officials to follow for implementing the accessible ballot provisions.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Lou Greenwald (D)*,  Ellen Park (D)*,  Roy Freiman (D),  Carol Murphy (D),  Sterley Stanley (D),  Anthony Verrelli (D), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document