Relating to the electronic delivery of absentee ballots for persons with certain physical disabilities

This bill relates to the electronic delivery of absentee ballots to certain persons. The bill requires the state commissioner of elections to include a space on absentee ballot request forms for a voter to indicate that the voter wants to receive an electronic absentee ballot because the voter has a physical disability that prevents the voter from reading and marking a physical ballot without the assistance of another person. If, upon receipt of an absentee ballot request form, the county commissioner of elections determines that the voter qualifies to receive an electronic absentee ballot, the county commissioner shall transmit an electronic absentee ballot to the voter at the time that physical absentee ballots are mailed. If the county commissioner determines that the voter does not qualify to receive an electronic absentee ballot, the county commissioner shall inform the voter of the rejection, the reason therefore, and that the voter will receive a physical absentee ballot. The bill requires an electronic absentee ballot to be transmitted in a form that allows the voter to read and mark the ballot using a personal computer. The bill then requires the voter to print the absentee ballot and return it in the same manner as prescribed for physical absentee ballots. The bill does not allow a voter to return an absentee ballot electronically. The bill requires the state commissioner of elections to adopt rules regarding the form, transmission, and marking of electronic absentee ballots.