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2/5/2026
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House passes O’Brien bill protecting electronic ballots for disabled, military voters
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STATE HOUSE – Rep. William W. O’Brien’s bill that continues to let disabled and military voters utilize electronically transmitted ballots was passed by the House today.
“The amount of people who participate in our elections goes up when we make voting easier. This is especially true for our brave members of the military serving our democracy and our residents who are disabled and unable to get to the polls. This bill is particularly important to disabled veterans, such as those who are blind, since this legislation will allow them to vote independently without anyone else’s help, affording them the voting privacy that so many of us take for granted. The bill will allow these individuals to continue to vote in a safe, secure, convenient and independent way so that their voices are heard on Election Day,” said Representative O’Brien (D-Dist. 54, North Providence).
The legislation (2026-H 7007aa) would allow eligible disabled and military voters to continue to utilize electronically transmitted ballots as originally enacted in 2022.
The existing law, which expired on Dec. 31, 2025, and was also sponsored by Representative O’Brien, states that eligible disabled voters shall be entitled to electronically receive and return their mail ballot using the same electronic transmission system used by voters covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA).
The electronic system chosen by the secretary of state to accomplish this initiative must have had one or more independent security reviews and meets the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework guidelines.
Disabled voters are defined as a disabled person eligible to vote who is incapacitated to such an extent that it would be an undue hardship to vote at the polls because of illness, mental or physical disability, blindness or a serious impairment of mobility.
“I am proud to be the sponsor of this great bill that honors people like my father, a Korean War veteran who later in life lost his eyesight. This legislation will benefit all blind Rhode Islanders and military personnel overseas who want to exercise their right to vote,” concluded Representative O’Brien.
The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration, where Sen. Matthew L. LaMountain (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston) has introduced the legislation (2026-S 2341).
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
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