2015 -- S 0256

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LC000333

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- REGISTRATION OF VOTERS

     Introduced By: Senators Raptakis, Cote, E O`Neill, Ottiano, and McCaffrey

     Date Introduced: February 11, 2015

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 17-9.1-24 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-9.1 entitled

"Registration of Voters" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     17-9.1-24. Change of designation. -- (a) Any person who has designated his or her party

affiliation pursuant to § 17-9.1-23 may change the designation on or before the ninetieth (90th)

twenty-ninth (29th) day preceding any primary election for which the person is eligible. Whenever

any person desires to change his or her party designation, that person shall appear before the local

board of the city or town in which that person has his or her residence, as defined in § 17-1-3.1,

or before the clerk or other duly authorized agent of the board, and shall change his or her party

designation and, after the information has been recorded on the form furnished for that purpose,

the person shall sign his or her name and certify to the truth of the facts recorded in the

appropriate spaces in the form; or the person shall furnish an affidavit properly executed and

signed by him or her to the board directing the board to change the party designation. Whenever

any person is unable to sign his or her name because of physical incapacity or otherwise, that

person shall make his or her mark "(X)", which shall be witnessed by the person receiving the

registration. For the convenience of persons voting at a primary election, affidavits for changing

party designation shall be available at all primary polling places. The presence of the affidavits at

the primary polling place shall not be construed to allow a person to change his or her party

designation within ninety (90) twenty-nine (29) days preceding the primary election.

      (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, affidavits for

changing party designation which are executed by voters at polling places immediately after

voting in primary elections conducted in the city of Warwick in January, 2000, shall take effect

immediately.

      (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, affidavits for

changing party designation which are executed by voters at polling places immediately after

voting in primary elections conducted in senate district 20 comprising parts of the city of

Woonsocket and town of Cumberland in March, 2008, shall take effect immediately.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- REGISTRATION OF VOTERS

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     This act would allow a voter to change their party affiliation on or before the twenty-

ninth (29th) day preceding any primary election for which the voter is eligible.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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