Section 3-719. EMERGENCY ABSENTEE BALLOTS

 

719.1A duly registered voter may apply for an emergency absentee ballot, through a duly authorized agent, at the office of the Board from the sixth (6th) day prior to any election to the time the polls close on Election Day, under the following circumstances:

 

(a)The voter is physically unable to be present at the polls as the result of an illness or accident occurring after the deadline for requesting to vote absentee by mail;

 

(b)The voter, having expected to recover from an illness by election day and vote at the polls, finds that after the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot by mail has passed, he or she is physically unable to vote at the poll on election day; or

 

(c)The voter is serving on a sequestered jury on election day.

 

719.2A duly registered voter shall apply to vote by emergency absentee ballot according to the following procedure:

 

(a)The registered voter shall, by signed affidavit on a form provided by the Board, set forth:

 

(1)  The reason why he or she is unable to be present at the polls on the day of the election; and

 

(2)  Except as provided in § 719.3, a designated voter registered in the District of Columbia to serve as agent for the purpose of delivering the absentee ballot to the voter.

 

(b)Upon receipt of the application, the Executive Director, or his or her designee, if satisfied that the person cannot, in fact, be present at the polling place on the day of the election shall issue to the voter, through the voter’s duly authorized agent, an absentee ballot which shall be marked by the voter, placed in a sealed envelope and returned to the Board before the close of the polls on election day.

 

(c)The person designated as agent shall, by signed affidavit on a form prescribed by the Board, state the following:

 

(1)That the ballot will be delivered by the voter who submitted the application for the ballot; and

 

(2)That the ballot shall be marked by the voter and placed in a sealed envelope in the agent’s presence, and returned, under seal to the Board by the agent.

 

719.3An officer of the court in charge of a jury sequestered on election day may act as agent for any registered voter sequestered regardless of whether the officer is a registered voter in the District.

 

719.4The Board shall advise all agents, in writing, that pursuant to D.C. Official Code §§ 1-1001.12 and 1-1001.14 (2014 Repl.), it is unlawful to do any of the following:

 

(a)Vote or attempt to vote more than once in any election; or

 

(b)Purloin or secret any of the votes cast in any election.

 

 

authority

The District of Columbia Election Code of 1955, approved August 12, 1955, as amended (69 Stat. 699; D.C. Official Code § 1-1001.05(a)(14) (2014 Repl.)).

source

Final Rulemaking published at 39 DCR 2467, 2480 (April 10, 1992); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 51 DCR 7403 (July 30, 2004); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 57 DCR 4245, 4248 (May 14, 2010); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 62 DCR 14744 (November 13, 2015).