§17-9-13. Voting assistance; time allowed to finish voting.

(a) Any person who wishes assistance in voting may receive assistance from any person the voter chooses except the voter's employer, an agent of the employer, or an officer or agent of the voter's union. The voter is not required to state a reason for requesting assistance. To obtain assistance, the voter must specifically request assistance by naming the person from whom assistance is sought and by signing in the appropriate column of the voters' poll list. The person providing assistance shall legibly sign in the adjacent column on the same line as the assisted voter's name. By signing the poll list, the assistant shall certify that he or she is not the voter's employer, an agent of the employer, or an officer or agent of the voter's union. If the voter is unable to sign the poll list, the person giving assistance shall write the voter's name in the appropriate column and then sign his or her own name in the third column.

(b) Any voter remaining in a voting station, including, but not limited to, a voting machine, table, booth, or device that permits a voter to complete a ballot in privacy, for four minutes or longer may be asked by a poll official if he or she requires assistance. At the same time, the voter shall be reminded that he or she has the right to have the assistance of any other person as permitted by law in this section, and that the poll officials may assist the voter if he or she so desires. If the voter does not desire assistance, the voter shall be permitted to remain in the voting station for no less than one additional minute. At the end of this additional minute, and if there exists a line of individuals waiting to vote, the voter may be informed that time is up and be asked to leave. If there is no line, the voter shall have as much time as necessary to finish voting. If the voter does request assistance, the voter may have the assistance of any person of his or her choosing currently in the voting place, as permitted by law in this section, and may have no less than an additional five minutes to vote. At the end of this additional five minutes, and if there exists a line of individuals waiting to vote, the voter may be informed that the time is up and be asked to leave the voting station. If there is no line, the voter shall have as much time as necessary to finish voting. Before an assigned voter exits the voting place, the voters' poll list must be revised to reflect that assistance was received.

(c) This section applies to general, primary, and special elections.

(Code 1896, §§1623, 1627; Code 1907, §§400, 401; Code 1923, §§490, 491; Code 1940, T. 17, §§176, 177; §17-8-29; amended and renumbered by Act 2006-570, p. 1331, §44.)