C. After the voter has completed marking the ballot, the voter shall then seal the ballot in its return envelope and complete the affidavit on the envelope. No notary or witness certification is required.

D. The voter or an immediate family member of the voter shall then mail or deliver in person the sealed envelope containing the voted ballot to the clerk of the municipality of which the voter is a resident. The voter shall send or deliver a completed voter registration or absentee ballot application, if necessary, in a separate envelope by mail or in person.

E. If an immediate family member of the voter returns an absentee ballot that was requested by the voter or another immediate family member of the voter, in writing or in person, the clerk shall accept the ballot. The clerk shall have the immediate family member who returned the ballot sign the application or written request and shall indicate that the ballot was returned by that person.

Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §754-A, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1999, c. 645, §7, is repealed.

Sec. 6. 21-A MRSA §754-A, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1999, c. 645, §7, is further amended to read:

3. Assistance in reading or marking ballot. A voter who is unable to read or mark the ballot because of the voter's physical disability, illiteracy or religious faith must vote according to the procedures in this subsection instead of the procedures in subsection 1 or 2.

A. A voter who needs assistance may request another person, other than the voter's employer or agent of that employer or officer or agent of the voter's union, to assist the voter in reading or marking the ballot.

B. The voter or the aide must mark the ballot in the presence of one of the following witnesses: Notary notary public, clerk of a municipality, clerk of courts or another individual.

C. The voter or the aide, before marking the ballot, must show it to the witness who must examine it to be certain it is unmarked.