H 7451Elections & Voting

Elections - Mail Ballots

This bill requires voters to provide a driver's license number, state ID, or Social Security digits when applying for mail ballots.

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Affected

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Introduced Jan 30, 2026Committee House State Government & Elections

Plain-English Summary

This legislation updates the application requirements for Rhode Island voters requesting a mail ballot or an emergency mail ballot. Under the new rules, any voter applying for a mail ballot must provide their Rhode Island driver’s license number, state identification number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number on the application. This identification requirement applies to both standard mail ballot applications and emergency applications. The bill specifies that the driver's license or state ID provided can be current or expired, provided it has not been expired for more than six months.

For younger readers

When people vote, they usually go to a voting booth. Sometimes, people can't go in person, so they ask for a ballot to be mailed to their house. This new rule says that when someone fills out the form to ask for a mailed ballot, they have to write down a special number from their driver's license or ID card. If they don't have those, they can use the last four numbers of their Social Security number. This helps the people running the election make sure the person asking for the ballot is really who they say they are.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Registered VotersBoard of CanvassersSecretary of StateElderly ResidentsDisabled Residents

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely. Courts have generally upheld voter identification requirements, provided they are not overly burdensome and do not constitute a poll tax. By offering the alternative of using the last four digits of a Social Security number, the state provides a free option for verification, which typically satisfies constitutional requirements regarding equal protection and the right to vote.

Estimated cost

None

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Includes a provision allowing the use of the last four digits of a Social Security number, ensuring that voters who lack a driver's license or state ID are not automatically excluded from voting by mail.
Maintains the ability for voters to apply for ballots online or through an assistant if they have disabilities, preserving existing accessibility avenues while updating ID requirements.
Clarifies the specific identification numbers needed on the application form, potentially reducing processing errors or confusion during the verification stage by election officials.
Creates an additional administrative barrier to voting by mail, which may disproportionately affect marginalized communities, the elderly, and low-income voters who may have difficulty accessing or locating specific identification documents.
Raises privacy concerns by requiring voters to write sensitive personal information, such as partial Social Security numbers, on applications that are handled by various administrative personnel.
Could lead to the disenfranchisement of eligible voters if they make minor clerical errors when transcribing their identification numbers onto the application form.

For Conservatives

Strengthens election integrity by mandating specific government-issued identification numbers, ensuring that the person requesting a ballot is a verified registered voter.
Reduces the potential for voter fraud by adding a distinct layer of identity verification to the mail ballot application process, rather than relying solely on signatures.
Promotes the rule of law by standardizing the requirements for mail-in voting, ensuring that the process is consistent and secure across all jurisdictions.
Allows the use of identification that has been expired for up to six months, potentially weakening the security standard compared to requiring strictly current identification.
Permits the use of the last four digits of a Social Security number as a substitute for a photo ID, which some may view as a less secure method of verifying identity than a driver's license.
Increases government collection of private data by requiring sensitive identification numbers to be submitted on forms, raising concerns about data privacy and government overreach.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 10 additions

SECTION 1. Sections 17-20-2.1 and 17-20-2.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-20 entitled "Mail Ballots" are hereby amended to read as follows: 17-20-2.1. Requirements for validity of mail ballot and mail ballot applications. (a)(1) Any legally qualified elector of this state whose name appears upon the official voting list of the city, town, or district of the city or town where the elector is qualified, and who desires to avail himself or herself of the right granted to him or her by the Constitution and declared in this chapter, may obtain from the local board in the city or town a form prepared by the secretary of state as prescribed in this section, setting forth the elector’s application for a mail ballot or may apply online in accordance with § 17-20-2.3.

(2) The application shall include the voter’s Rhode Island driver’s license or state identification number, if unexpired or expired no more than six (6) months prior to the election, or the last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number.

(b) Whenever any person is unable to sign their name because of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write, the voter or their assistant shall mark a box to indicate the voter cannot sign due to blindness, disability, or inability to read or write and include the full name, residence address, signature, and optionally the telephone number and e-mail address, of the person who provided assistance to the voter on a form provided by the secretary of state. The representation relating to the voter’s inability to sign shall be made under the pains and penalties of perjury.

(c) To receive a ballot in the mail, an elector must submit an application in person or by mail, so that it is received by the local board, or received electronically through the portal established by § 17-20-2.3, not later than four o’clock (4:00) p.m. on the twenty-first (21st) day before the day of any election referred to in § 17-20-1. In those cases where an application to receive a mail ballot is postmarked by the twenty-first (21st) day before the date of an election and received not later than eighteen (18) days before the date of an election, the application shall be considered received on or prior to the last day to apply for a mail ballot.

(d) In addition to those requirements set forth elsewhere in this chapter, a mail ballot, in order to be valid, must have been cast in conformance with the following procedures:

(1) All mail ballots issued pursuant to § 17-20-2(1) shall be mailed to the elector at the Rhode Island address provided by the elector on the application. In order to be valid, the voter must affix their signature on all certifying envelopes containing a voted ballot.

(2) All applications for mail ballots pursuant to § 17-20-2(2) must state under oath the name and location of the hospital, convalescent home, nursing home, or similar institution where the elector is confined. All mail ballots issued pursuant to § 17-20-2(2) shall be delivered to the elector at the hospital, convalescent home, nursing home, or similar institution where the elector is confined.

(3) All mail ballots issued pursuant to § 17-20-2(3) shall be mailed to the address provided by the elector on the application or sent to the board of canvassers in the city or town where the elector maintains their voting residence. In order to be valid, the voter must affix their signature on the certifying envelope containing voted ballots. Any voter qualified to receive a mail ballot pursuant to § 17-20-2(3) shall also be entitled to cast a ballot pursuant to the provisions of United States Public Law 99-410, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).

(4) All mail ballots issued pursuant to § 17-20-2(4) may be mailed to the elector at the address within the United States provided by the elector on the application or sent to the board of canvassers in the city or town where the elector maintains their voting residence. In order to be valid, the voter must affix their signature on all certifying envelopes containing a voted ballot. In order to be valid, all ballots sent to the elector at the board of canvassers, must be voted in conformance with the provisions of § 17-20-14.2.

(e) Any person knowingly and willfully making a false application or certification, or knowingly and willfully aiding and abetting in the making of a false application or certification, shall be guilty of a felony and shall be subject to the penalties provided for in § 17-26-1.

(f) In no way shall a mail ballot application be disqualified if the voter’s circumstances change between the time of making the application and voting their mail ballot as long as the voter remains qualified to receive a mail ballot under the provisions of § 17-20-2. The local board of canvassers shall provide the state board of elections with written notification of any change in circumstances to a mail ballot voter. 17-20-2.2. Requirements for validity of emergency mail ballots. (a)(1) Any legally qualified elector of this state whose name appears upon the official voting list of the town or district of the city or town where the elector is so qualified is eligible to vote by emergency mail ballot according to this chapter. Within twenty (20) days or less prior to any election, the elector may obtain from the local board an application for an emergency mail ballot or may complete an emergency in-person mail ballot application on an electronic poll pad at the board of canvassers where the elector maintains his or her residence.

(b) The emergency mail ballot application, when duly executed, shall be delivered in person or by mail so that it shall be received by the local board, or received electronically through the portal established by § 17-20-2.3, not later than four o’clock (4:00) p.m. on the last day preceding the date of the election.

(d) In addition to those requirements set forth elsewhere in this chapter, an emergency mail ballot, except those emergency mail ballots being cast pursuant to subsection (g) of this section, in order to be valid, must have been cast in conformance with the following procedures:

(1) All mail ballots issued pursuant to § 17-20-2(1) shall be mailed to the elector at the state of Rhode Island address provided on the application by the office of the secretary of state, or delivered by the local board to a person presenting written authorization from the elector to receive the ballots, or cast in private at the local board of canvassers. In order to be valid, the voter must affix his or her signature on the certifying envelope containing a voted ballot. In order to be valid, all ballots sent to the elector at the board of canvassers must be voted in conformance with the provisions of § 17-20-14.2.

(2) All applications for emergency mail ballots pursuant to § 17-20-2(2) must state under oath the name and location of the hospital, convalescent home, nursing home, or similar institution where the elector is confined. All mail ballots issued pursuant to this subdivision shall be delivered to the elector by the bipartisan pair of supervisors, appointed in conformance with this chapter, and shall be voted in conformance with the provisions of § 17-20-14.

(3) All mail ballots issued pursuant to § 17-20-2(3) shall be mailed by the office of the secretary of state to the elector at an address provided by the elector on the application, or cast at the board of canvassers in the city or town where the elector maintains his or her voting residence. Any voter qualified to receive a mail ballot pursuant to § 17-20-2(3) shall also be entitled to cast a ballot pursuant to the provisions of United States Public Law 99-410, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).

(4) All mail ballots issued pursuant to § 17-20-2(4) shall be cast at the board of canvassers in the city or town where the elector maintains his or her voting residence or mailed by the office of the secretary of state to the elector at the address within the United States provided by the elector on the application, or delivered to the voter by a person presenting written authorization by the voter to pick up the ballot. In order to be valid, the voter must affix his or her signature on all certifying envelopes containing a voted ballot. In order to be valid, all ballots sent to the elector at the board of canvassers must be voted in conformance with the provisions of § 17-20-14.2.

(e) The secretary of state shall provide each of the several boards of canvassers with a sufficient number of mail ballots for their voting districts so that the local boards may provide the appropriate ballot or ballots to the applicants. It shall be the duty of each board of canvassers to process each emergency ballot application in accordance with this chapter, and it shall be the duty of each board to return to the secretary of state any ballots not issued immediately after each election.

(f) Any person knowingly and willfully making a false application or certification, or knowingly and willfully aiding and abetting in the making of a false application or certification, shall be guilty of a felony and shall be subject to the penalties provided for in § 17-26-1.

(g) An emergency mail ballot application may be completed in person using an electronic poll pad provided by the board of canvassers upon presentation by the voter of valid proof of identity pursuant to § 17-19-24.2. Upon completion of the poll pad application, the voter shall be provided with a ballot issued by the secretary of state and upon completion of the ballot by the voter, the voter shall place the ballot into the state-approved electronic voting device, provided by the board of elections and secured in accordance with a policy adopted by the board of elections.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.