Amendment ID: S2755-24

Amendment 24

Guaranteeing Safe, Accessible, and Fair Elections For All

Mr. Eldridge, Ms. Comerford and Ms. Jehlen move that the proposed new text be amended by striking out section 19 and inserting in place thereof the following:-

SECTION 19. To ensure that in-person voting is as accessible and as safe as possible for all voters during the 2020 biennial general election and early voting, the state secretary, in consultation with the department of public health, shall issue guidance to the city and town clerks on holding safe, accessible, and fair elections. A draft of the guidance on Safe, Accessible, and Fair In-Person Voting shall be publicized and made available by June 29, 2020 for public input for ten calendar days. Opportunities for public input shall include electronic mail, online portal, and U.S. Postal Service. The state secretary shall consider public input in devising final Guidance. Said Guidance shall be posted on the secretary of state’s website by July 17, 2020 and shall be submitted to the secretary of the executive office of public safety and the secretary of health and human services. The secretary’s guidance must include recommendations on:

(a) consideration of the layout of polling locations, including six-foot markers and proper signage in and outside of the polling site, to facilitate physical distancing throughout the voting process, including while voters are standing in line (inside or outside the polling location), when entering the voting area, while voting, while casting their ballot, and exiting, ideally through a different door than the entrance.

(b) expansion and redesign of polling locations to accommodate physical distancing throughout the voting process, or, when necessary, the relocation of polling locations to protect health and safety, keeping in mind that closing familiar polling places and contraction in the number of polling locations should be a last resort and only to be used when other preparedness measures cannot adequately ensure safe voter participation.

(c) implementation of curbside voting for voters with physical or health limitations;

(d) the protection of poll workers with personal protective equipment, adequate access to cleaning supplies throughout the day, access to hand-washing and bathrooms with adequate soap, water, and disposable paper towels, and appropriate distancing measures;

(e) voter access to hand-washing and bathrooms with adequate soap, water, and disposable paper towels;

(f) outreach, recruitment, and training of additional and reserve poll workers to ensure that the burden of administering the in-person election does not fall on poll workers at greater risk from COVID-19, and to guard against the possibility that a shortage of poll workers could compromise the administration of the election and the health and safety of voters.

To help local elections officials recruit and train new poll workers, the state secretary shall establish a statewide portal to recruit poll workers and share names and contact information of interested volunteers with local elections officials, and shall also develop appropriate training materials;

(g) expanding public awareness and participation in early voting and absentee voting to reduce lines;

(h) expanded outreach on alternatives to in-person voting for those populations identified by the department of public health to be at great risk from COVID-19.

Following receipt of the state secretary’s guidance, cities and towns shall develop an election preparedness plan for in-person voting in the biennial state primary and general election, based on the guidance, that shall be posted on the city or town website and submitted to the state secretary, secretary of health and human services, and secretary of public safety. The local plans shall be posted no later than 30 days before the biennial primary and general state election.