Amendment #17 to H4359

Ballot Applications

Mr. Kelcourse of Amesbury moves to amend the bill, as amended, in section 4, in line 126 through line 150, by striking the words “(2)(i) The state secretary shall, not later than 45 days before a presidential or state primary or biennial state election, mail to all registered voters at their residential addresses or mailing addresses if different from their residential addresses listed in the central registry an application for said voter to be permitted to vote early by mail; provided, that the application shall authorize said voter to vote early by mail in other primaries or elections authorized under this subsection held within the year; provided, however, that the state secretary shall not send an application to any voter whose previous application for an absent or early ballot has been accepted.

(ii) The election officers and registrars of every city or town shall include an application with the acknowledgement notice sent to any person registering to vote or changing their voter registration address.

(iii) The applications required pursuant to this subsection shall be in a form prescribed by the state secretary in accordance with state and federal law; provided, however, that said applications shall: (i) include clear instructions for completing and returning the application; (ii) allow a voter to designate the mailing address to which the ballot shall be sent; and (iii) be pre-addressed to the local election official with postage guaranteed.

(iv) Each application mailed pursuant to this subsection shall be provided in any language required by the bilingual election requirements of the federal Voting Rights Act, 52 U.S.C. section 10503.

(v) Each application mailed to a voter in the city of Boston pursuant to this subsection shall include an option, which shall appear prominently on the application, to request a ballot

printed in any language available at the voter’s polling location pursuant to chapter 166 of the acts of 2014.

(vi) The applications required pursuant to this subsection shall be made available on the websites of the state secretary and the elections officers and registrars of every city or town.”

and inserting in place thereof the words, “(2) Applications for early voting by mail shall be made available on the websites of the state secretary and the elections officers and registrars of every city or town.”

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #17 to H4359

Ballot Applications