RESOLUTION NO. _____________

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, COUNTY OF SAN MATEO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA

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RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF SB 1732 (BOWEN), VOTING: PROVISIONAL BALLOTS, IF AMENDED TO ENSURE THAT PROVISIONAL BALLOTS ARE ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

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RESOLVED, by the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Mateo, State of California, that

 

WHEREAS, existing law fails to address accommodations or alternative provisional voting processes for individuals with disabilities who may not be able to independently complete a paper provisional ballot; and

 

WHEREAS, SB 1732 would require that provisional ballots be paper ballots and would state that this amendment is declaratory of existing law; and

 

WHEREAS, SB 1732, by clarifying that provisional ballots must be paper, could exacerbate the existing problem regarding the accessibility of provisional ballots; and

 

WHEREAS, the lack of accommodations or alternative provisional voting processes for individuals with disabilities is contrary to the Help Americans Vote Act (HAVA), which, in part, contains provisions addressing the opportunity for individuals with disabilities to access and to participate fully in the election process; and

 

WHEREAS, amending SB 1732 can ensure that provisional ballots are accessible to people with disabilities as well as conform with the Help Americans Vote Act;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY DETERMINED AND ORDERED that the Board of Supervisors by adoption of this resolution does hereby support SB 1732 (Bowen) regarding provisional ballots, if it is amended to ensure that ensure that provisional ballots are accessible to people with disabilities.

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