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H 7979Elections & Voting

Elections - Mail Ballots

This bill prohibits campaign workers from handling other people's mail ballots or watching them vote, with exceptions for family.

Held for study
Population
Affected
65
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House State Government & Elections

Plain-English Summary

This legislation updates Rhode Island election laws regarding mail ballots. It mandates that mail ballots must be deposited in a drop box or delivered to the state board of elections by 8:00 pm on election day. The bill prohibits individuals affiliated with a candidate or political campaign from handling another voter's mail ballot or being present when a voter marks their ballot. Exceptions are provided for immediate family members, household members, and caregivers. It also defines "immediate family" and maintains protections for voters with disabilities requiring assistance. Violations constitute a misdemeanor.

For younger readers

This new rule changes how people can send in their votes by mail. It says that people who work for a politician or a campaign are not allowed to hold or carry another person's voting paper. They also cannot watch someone write down their vote. This is to make sure no one feels pressured when they are voting. However, if the helper is a family member or lives in the same house, they are still allowed to help. If someone breaks this rule, they can get in trouble with the police.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
VotersPolitical Campaign StaffCandidates for OfficeCaregiversElection Officials
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Protects vulnerable voters from potential intimidation or coercion by political operatives while they are marking their private ballots.
  • Explicitly preserves the rights of voters with disabilities, blindness, or literacy issues to receive assistance from a person of their choice.
  • Clarifies the specific deadline times for ballot drop boxes, reducing confusion and ensuring valid votes are not disqualified due to timing misunderstandings.
  • Restricts "community ballot collection" (often called ballot harvesting), which community organizers often use to help marginalized, elderly, or low-income populations return their ballots.
  • Criminalizes the actions of well-meaning volunteers who might simply be trying to help neighbors vote, potentially discouraging civic engagement.
  • The definition of "affiliated with a political campaign" could be interpreted broadly, potentially creating legal risks for grassroots activists assisting in voter turnout efforts.
For Conservatives
  • Directly addresses election integrity concerns by banning "ballot harvesting" by political operatives, reducing the opportunity for fraud.
  • Prevents campaign workers from hovering over voters while they vote, ensuring that the decision remains private and free from immediate political pressure.
  • Imposes criminal penalties (misdemeanors) for violations, establishing consequences for those who attempt to manipulate the mail ballot process.
  • Includes exceptions for "caregivers" and those assisting disabled voters, which skeptics might view as potential loopholes for continued ballot harvesting.
  • Does not eliminate the use of drop boxes, which many conservatives view as less secure than in-person voting or direct mail delivery.
  • The enforcement relies on self-reporting or catching someone in the act, which may be difficult to police effectively without intrusive government oversight.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 36 additions · 2 deletions

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 17-20-23 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-20 entitled "Mail Ballots" is hereby amended to read as follows: 17-20-23. Marking and certification of ballot.

(a) A voter may vote for the candidates of the voter’s choice by making a mark in the space provided opposite their respective names.

(b) In case a voter desires to vote upon a question submitted to the vote of the electors of the state, the voter shall mark in the appropriate space associated with the answer that the voter desires to give.

(c) The voter shall enclose and seal the ballot in the envelope provided for it. The voter shall then enclose and seal the certified envelope with the ballot in the envelope addressed to the state board and cause the envelope to be deposited into any official drop box or delivered to the state board on or before no later than eight o'clock (8:00) pm on election day.

(d) These ballots shall be counted only if received within the time limited by this chapter.

(e) A voter who receives the ballot by mail may return it via the United States Postal Service, deposit into an official elections drop box, or deliver to the state board of elections no later than eight o'clock (8:00) pm on election day by the voter or immediately by a person deemed authorized by the voter that is not affiliated with a candidate for office or a political campaign.

(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, a ballot may be returned by an immediate family member or member of a voter's household, even if that immediate family member or member of the household is a candidate for office or someone affiliated with a political campaign.

(g) No person affiliated with a candidate for office or a political campaign shall possess a voter's mail ballot other than their own, except if the person is an immediate family member, caregiver of the voter, or lives in the same household as the voter, the staff of the state board of elections, staff of the canvassing authority of the city or town in which the voter is registered, the staff of the secretary of state, any official printer of mail ballot forms and its designated carriers, the United States Postal Service, any other carrier, courier or messenger service recognized and approved by the state board of elections, or any person authorized by the state board of elections to receive and process official mail ballot forms and envelopes, including members of the state board of elections and local board of canvassers members.

(h) No person affiliated with a candidate for office or a political campaign shall be knowingly present when a voter executes their mail ballot, unless the person is an immediate family member or lives in the same household as the voter, or is authorized by law to be present, when the mail ballot is executed in the office of the canvassing authority of the city or town in which the voter is registered or the state board of elections or those appointed as provided in § 17-20-14.

(i) For purposes of this subsection, immediate family member means a parent, grandparent, sibling, spouse, partner, child, or grandchild by blood, marriage, or adoption.

(j) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, nothing set forth herein shall limit or restrict any voter who requires assistance to vote by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write, to receive assistance by a person of the voter's choice, other than the voter's employer, or agent of that employer, or officer or agent of the voter's union, in accordance with § 17-19-26.1.

(k) Any reference to "mail ballot" or "ballot by mail'' in in this section shall be construed to also apply to an emergency mail ballot as provided for in § 17-20-2.2. (e)(l) There shall be a space provided on the general election ballot to allow the voter to write in the names of persons not in nomination by any party as provided for in §§ 17-19-31 and 17-20- 24.

(m) A person who knowingly and willfully violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to the penalties provided for in § 17-26-2.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.