An Act
ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 1711 By: Hill of the House
and
Rosino of the Senate
An Act relating to absentee ballots; authoriz ing
blind persons to request electronic delivery of
accessible absentee ballot; requiring State Election
Board Secretary to prescribe accessible absentee
voting packet for blind persons; authorizing
electronic delivery of certain packet; establishing
procedures for marking and returning of certain
absentee ballots; prohibiting electronic return of
absentee ballots; allowing re quest for certain
assistance; providing for processing of certai n
absentee ballots; creating felony offense for
fraudulent applicatio n for certain absentee ballot;
authorizing promulgation of certain rules and
procedures by the Secretary of the State Election
Board; providing for codification; and providing an
effective date.
SUBJECT: Absentee ballots
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 vote 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 manner prescribed by the Secretary of the State ENR. H. B. NO. 1711 Page 2
Election Board. A system for electronic delivery of absentee
ballots to voters who are blind persons may include the same or
similar requirements as the electron ic delivery system authorized
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 accessibl e 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 private ly 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 abs entee
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 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 t his 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 de livery
of an absentee ballot as provided in this section, but who applies
for an absentee ballot described in this section, shall be deemed ENR. H. B. NO. 1711 Page 3
guilty of a felony as provided in Section 16 -102.2 of Title 26 of
the Oklahoma Statutes.
F. The Secretary of the St ate Election Board may promulgate
rules or procedures to implement the requirements of this section.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023.
ENR. H. B. NO. 1711 Page 4
Passed the House of Representatives the 12th day of May, 2022.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
Passed the Senate the 28th day of April, 2022.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Received by the Office of the Governor this ____________________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________
Approved by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _____ ____
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
_________________________________
Governor of the State of Oklahoma
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
Received by the Office of the Secretary of State this __________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________