This bill amends the current law regarding the distribution of absentee ballot applications by the Secretary of State. Specifically, it introduces a new requirement that absentee ballot applications cannot be sent to city or town clerks more than 45 days before an election. The Secretary of State is also mandated to maintain a record of the date and method of distribution of these applications, as well as the quantity forwarded to clerks. The legal language added to the existing statute includes provisions for the timing of application distribution and record-keeping, while no deletions from the current law are specified.

The bill is set to take effect 60 days after its passage and does not allocate any new funding or positions. The fiscal impact is currently indeterminable, as the Department of State needs further clarification on whether the bill intends to eliminate online applications in favor of a paper-based system. As it stands, absentee ballots are available for download on the Secretary of State's website, and the potential changes could affect future expenditures related to absentee voting processes.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 657:5