Requires verification of an applicant's date of birth and either a Rhode Island driver's license number or state identification number on all applications seeking mail ballots and emergency mail ballots.

Rhode Island Mail Ballot Verification Bill

This bill would add new identity verification requirements for Rhode Islanders who want to vote by mail. Under the proposed law, anyone applying for a mail ballot or an emergency mail ballot would need to provide two pieces of identifying information on their application: their date of birth, and either their Rhode Island driver's license number or their state-issued ID number. Currently, applicants are not required to include this information.

The bill affects any Rhode Island voter who chooses to vote by mail rather than in person, as well as those who need an emergency mail ballot — typically requested close to Election Day due to an unexpected illness, disability, or other qualifying circumstance. Voters who do not have a Rhode Island driver's license or state ID could potentially face difficulty completing a mail ballot application under this new requirement, since one of those two ID numbers would be mandatory.

The goal of the bill, as written, is to add a layer of identity verification to the mail ballot process to help confirm that the person requesting a ballot is who they say they are. The bill has been introduced in the Rhode Island Senate and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it will be reviewed before any further action is taken. It has not yet been voted on or signed into law.