LETTER Re: Board of Elections Proposed Mail Ballot Legislation

This letter was sent to the Rhode Island Board of Elections urging them to reject proposed legislation that would make it unlawful for any “candidate, political party, political action committee, or ballot question advocate [to] knowingly be present when a voter executes a mail ballot, except when the candidate or agent is a member of the immediate family of the voter or authorized by law to be present…”

Not only is this vague and overly broad, the legislation would impose harsh felony penalties for violations. Additionally, this would undermine the collection of mail ballots by third parties, and could suppress voting rights.