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SENATE FLOOR VERSION
April 13, 2022
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR ENGROSSED
HOUSE BILL NO. 1711 By: Hill and Turner of the
House
and
Rosino of the Senate
[ elections - allowing blind or visual ly impaired
persons to request certain ballot e lectronically -
providing for return of ballot - prohibiting return
of ballot electronically - providing for processing
of ballot - effective date ]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLA HOMA:
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 a ffirms that the voter
is physically unable to vo te in person at the voter’s precinct on
the day of the election because the voter is a blind person as
defined by Section 72 of Title 7 of the Oklahoma Statutes may
request that an accessible absentee ballot be delivered to the voter
electronically in a ma nner prescribed by the Secretary of the State
Election Board. A system for electronic delivery of absentee
ballots to voters who are blind persons may include the same or
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similar requirements as the electron ic delivery system author ized
for uniformed services voters as set forth in Section 14-118 of
Title 26 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
2. An accessible absentee voting packet for voters who are
blind persons, which shall include all necessary materials except
the absentee ballot, shall 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 electro nically.
B. 1. The electronic delivery system may 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 b e 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 secr etary of the county election board in the same
manner provided in Sect ion 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.
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C. A registered voter who is a blind person as defined by
Section 72 of Title 7 of the Oklahoma Statutes may choose to request
the assistance of another person to complete any requirements of
this section, as pro vided in Section 7-123.3 of Title 26 of the
Oklahoma Statutes.
D. Upon return of an absentee 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 abse ntee
ballots.
E. Any person who is not qualified for the electronic d elivery
of an absentee ballot as provided in this section, 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 S tate Election Board may promulgate
rules or procedures to implement the requirements of this section.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
April 13, 2022 - DO PASS AS AMENDED