Amendment ID: S2755-7

Amendment 7

Voting accessibility

Ms. Chang-Diaz, Ms. Rausch, Mr. Eldridge, Ms. Comerford, Ms. DiZoglio, Ms. Jehlen, Messrs. Feeney and Cyr move that the proposed new text be amended by striking section 6 subsection (i) and replacing it with the following section:- (i) A voter wishing to apply to vote early by mail in the primary and/or general election and needs accommodation may request such accommodation from the secretary of state. Upon receiving information from the voter pursuant to the application in this section either by phone or electronically, the secretary of state shall grant accommodations to the voter. Accommodations shall include, but are not limited to: clear and electronic accessible instructions for completion, printing, and returning of the ballot; an authorized accessible blank electronic ballot that can be filled out electronically, printed, and signed, provided that the accessible electronic ballot marking system the voter utilizes to access their blank electronic ballot shall not collect or store any personally identifying information obtained in the process of filling out the ballot; an envelope to return the ballot to the voters town or city clerk; and hole punched markers in place of a wet signature required for certification. The electronic instructions and accommodations in this section shall comply with requirements contained in Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and shall conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology report "Principles and guidelines for remote ballot marking systems.” Upon printing the ballot, the voter shall place the ballot in the envelope provided by the secretary of state. A voter with accommodations in receipt of an early voting ballot for the primary and or general election pursuant to this section may complete and return the ballot by: (i) delivering it in person to the office of the appropriate city or town clerk; (ii) dropping it in a secured municipal drop box; or (iii) mailing it to the appropriate city or town clerk.