2016 -- S 2071

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LC003170

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

     

     Introduced By: Senators Picard, Paiva Weed, and Pearson

     Date Introduced: January 13, 2016

     Referred To: Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 17-2-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-2 entitled "General State

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Officers" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     17-2-1. General officers enumerated -- Election and terms. -- The governor, lieutenant

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governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and general treasurer shall be known as general

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officers. Commencing with the quadrennial election of A.D. 2018, the candidates for the offices

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of governor and lieutenant governor shall form joint candidacies so that each voter shall cast a

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single vote for a candidate for governor and a candidate for lieutenant governor running together.

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They The general officers shall be elected at a general election, quadrennially, in accordance with

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the provisions of this title, and shall hold their respective offices for four (4) years beginning on

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the first Tuesday of January next succeeding their election and until the election and qualification

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of their respective successors.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 17-14 of the General Laws entitled "Nomination of Party and

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Independent Candidates" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     17-14-1.3. Candidacy for lieutenant governor. – (a) No later than (5:00) pm on the

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ninth day following the primary election, each candidate for governor shall designate, in writing,

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a candidate for lieutenant governor as a running mate.

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     (b) No later than (5:00) pm on the ninth day following the primary election, each

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designated candidate for lieutenant governor shall file with the secretary of state a signed

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declaration which contains the following:

 

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     (1) The candidate's name as it appears on the voting list, subject to the same provisions as

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it relates to the candidate's signature;

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     (2) The candidate's address as it appears on the voting list, provided that an address

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which is substantially the same as the address on the voting list shall be valid;

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     (3) The candidate's place and date of birth;

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     (4) The candidate's length of residence in the state and in the town or city where they

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reside;

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     (5) A certification that the candidate is neither serving a sentence, including probation or

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parole, for which they were imprisoned upon final conviction of a felony imposed on any date,

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nor serving any sentence, whether incarcerated or suspended, on probation or parole, upon final

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conviction of a felony committed after November 5, 1986;

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     (6) A certification that the candidate has not been lawfully adjudicated to be non compos

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mentis, of unsound mind;

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     (7) A certification that the candidate has not, within the preceding three (3) years, served

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any sentence, incarcerated or suspended, on probation or parole, for a crime committed after

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November 5, 1986, upon a plea of nolo contendere or guilty or upon a conviction of a felony or

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for a misdemeanor for which a sentence of imprisonment for six (6) months or more, whether

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suspended or to be served as imposed.

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     (c) A designated candidate for lieutenant governor is not required to obtain signatures on

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nomination papers.

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     (d) Ballot position obtained by the candidate for governor entitles the designated

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candidate for lieutenant governor, upon receipt by the secretary of state of an approved

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declaration to have their name placed on the ballot for the joint candidacy.

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     (e) In order to have the name of the candidate for lieutenant governor printed on the

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primary election ballot, a candidate for governor participating in the primary must designate the

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candidate for lieutenant governor, and such designated candidate must qualify no later than sixty

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(60) days before the primary. If the candidate for lieutenant governor has not been designated and

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has not been timely certified by the secretary of state, the phrase "Not Yet Designated" must be

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included in lieu of the candidate's name on the primary election ballot.

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     (f) Failure of the lieutenant governor candidate to be designated and qualified by the time

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specified in subsection (b) of this section shall result in forfeiture of the ballot position for the

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candidate for governor for the general election.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage of the joint resolution entitled, Joint

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Resolution "To approve and publish and submit to the electors a proposition of amendment to the

 

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constitution of the state (governor and lieutenant governor to appear jointly on the ballot)", to be

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voted upon by the electorate at the next statewide election.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

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     This act would provide that candidates for governor and lieutenant governor would run

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on a joint ticket commencing with the general election in 2018.

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     This act would take effect upon passage of the joint resolution entitled, Joint Resolution

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"To approve and publish and submit to the electors a proposition of amendment to the

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constitution of the state (governor and lieutenant governor to appear jointly on the ballot)", to be

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voted upon by the electorate at the next statewide election.

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