The bill amends sections of the General Laws related to mail ballots, specifically addressing voting methods for citizens covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and other citizens residing outside the United States. It allows eligible disabled and military voters to utilize electronically transmitted ballots, continuing the provisions established in 2022.

The bill specifies that corresponding ballots shall be sent by mail and electronic transmission. It outlines security requirements for the electronic transmission of ballots, stating that the secretary of state shall approve electronically transmitted ballots only through a service or solution that meets certain criteria, including independent security reviews and compliance with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework guidelines.

Additionally, the bill establishes a permanent mail ballot application list, allowing eligible disabled voters to electronically receive and return their mail ballots using the same electronic transmission system as that used by voters covered by UOCAVA. This electronic process is required to satisfy the federal Rehabilitation Act, section 508 concerning accessibility standards. The definition of "eligible disabled voter" is clarified to mean a person with disabilities who is incapacitated to such an extent that it would be an undue hardship to vote at the polls due to illness, mental or physical disability, blindness, or serious impairment of mobility.

The act is set to take effect upon passage.