2018 -- H 7586

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LC004707

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- ELECTION OFFENSES

     Introduced By: Representatives Edwards, Shekarchi, Ackerman, and Solomon

     Date Introduced: February 14, 2018

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     (Board of Elections)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 17-23-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-23 entitled "Election

Offenses" is hereby repealed.

     17-23-2. Signature of posters, fliers, and circulars.

     No person shall intentionally write, print, post, or distribute, or cause to be written,

printed, posted, or distributed, a circular, flier, or poster designed or tending to injure or defeat

any candidate for nomination or election to any public office, by criticizing the candidate's

personal character or political action, or designed or tending to aid, injure, or defeat any question

submitted to the voters, unless there appears upon the circular, flier, or poster in a conspicuous

place the name of the author and either the names of the chairperson and secretary, or of two (2)

officers, of the political or other organization issuing the poster, flier, or circular, or of some voter

who is responsible for it, with the voter's name and residence, and the street and numbers, if any.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC004707

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- ELECTION OFFENSES

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     This act would remove the requirement that a circular or flier, that is designed to defeat a

candidate for election to a public office or to defeat a question submitted to voters at an election,

must contain the name of the author of the circular or flier.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC004707

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