2012 -- H 8093

=======

LC02499

=======

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2012

____________

A N A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS

     

     

     Introduced By: Representative Anastasia P. Williams

     Date Introduced: April 26, 2012

     Referred To: House Judiciary

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

1-1

     SECTION 1. Chapter 26 of the 2012 Public Laws entitled “AN ACT RELATING TO

1-2

ELECTIONS” is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-3

     17-11-1. Division of towns and representative district into voting districts. -- The

1-4

local board of any city or town may, on or before the sixtieth (60th) day preceding any election,

1-5

divide or redivide the city or town, or any representative district in the city or town, into voting

1-6

districts. The local board of each city or town shall determine voting districts by geographical

1-7

boundaries and by no other means. No voting district shall at any time comprise parts of two (2)

1-8

or more wards. It shall be the duty of the board to divide the city or town, representative district,

1-9

or ward, so that substantially not more than three thousand (3000) total eligible registered voters

1-10

shall be served by the same polling place; provided, however, that any divisions conducted by the

1-11

local board pursuant to this section shall not result in creating a polling place serving less than

1-12

five hundred (500) total eligible registered voters, except when a polling place is located in a low-

1-13

income or elderly residential development, or when it is caused by legislative district boundaries;

1-14

and provided, further, that no existing polling place which is presently located in a low-income or

1-15

elderly residential development shall be eliminated. Upon the establishment and approval of any

1-16

polling place by the state board, changes to the polling place shall not be allowed until the next

1-17

redistricting by the general assembly, unless the polling place becomes unavailable to the city or

1-18

town, or no longer meets polling place minimum requirements as established by the state board,

1-19

then the city or town may take the appropriate action to replace the polling place. A polling place

1-20

may be located either within or without the voting district for which it is established; provided,

2-1

that a polling place may be located outside the district only upon unanimous determination of the

2-2

local board and subject to the approval of the state board that a suitable place is not available

2-3

within the voting district.

2-4

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

     

=======

LC02499

=======

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS

***

3-1

     This act would amend Chapter 26 of the 2012 Public Laws entitled “AN ACT

3-2

RELATING TO ELECTIONS” by exempting polling places which are located in a low-income

3-3

or elderly residential development from the minimum requirement of at least five hundred (500)

3-4

total eligible registered voters required to constitute a polling place, and would preserve those

3-5

existing polling places which are presently located in such low-income or elderly residential

3-6

developments.

3-7

     This act would take effect upon passage.

     

=======

LC02499

=======

H8093