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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
HOUSE BILL NO. 1711 By: Hill
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
An Act relating to elections; allowing blind or
visually impaired persons to request certain ballot
electronically; authorizing Secretary of the State
Election Board to prescribe absentee voting packet;
providing for delivery by mail or electronically;
providing for marking of ballot; providing for
absentee ballot affidavit; providing for return of
ballot; prohibiting return of ballot electronically;
providing for request of assistance; providing for
processing of ballot; providing for penalty;
authorizing promulgation of rules; providing for
codification; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 14 -115.12 of Title 26, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. 1. A registered voter who swears or affirms that the voter
is physically unable to vote in person at the voter's precinct on
the day of the election because the voter is blind or visually
impaired may request that an accessible absentee ballot be deli vered
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to the voter electronically in a manner prescribed by the Secretary
of the State Election Board.
2. An accessible absentee voting packet for blind or visually
impaired voters, which shall include all necessary materials except
the absentee ballot, s hall be prescribed by the Secretary of the
State Election Board. The accessible absentee voting packet may be
delivered to the voter by United States mail or electronically.
B. 1. The electronic delivery system shall provide the voter
the opportunity to use the voter's personal computer to mark an
accessible absentee ballot privately and independently and then
print the marked ballot.
2. The absentee ballot shall be accompanied by an absentee
ballot affidavit, which shall be executed in the same manner as
provided for affidavits in Section 14 -113.2 of Title 26 of the
Oklahoma Statutes.
3. The voter shall return the absentee ballot and executed
affidavit to the secretary of the county election board in the same
manner provided in Section 14 -113.2 of Title 26 of the Oklahoma
Statutes. Nothing in this section shall allow for an absentee
ballot to be returned to the county election board electronically,
and no absentee ballot returned electronically shall be eligible to
be counted by a county election board .
C. A registered voter who is blind or visually impaired may
choose to request the assistance of another person to complete any
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requirements of this section, as provided in Section 7 -123.3 of
Title 26 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
D. Upon return of an absen tee ballot described in this section,
the secretary of the county election board shall cause it to be
processed in the same manner as prescribed by law for other absentee
ballots.
E. Any person who is not blind or visually impaired according
to state law, but who applies for an absentee ballot described in
this section, shall be deemed guilty of a felony as provided in
Section 16-102.2 of Title 26 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
F. The Secretary of the State Election Board may promulgate
rules or procedures to implement the requirements of this section.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2021.
58-1-7447 LRB 02/09/21