2018 -- S 2305

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LC003830

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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 -- REGISTRATION OF VOTERS

     Introduced By: Senators Raptakis, McCaffrey, Paolino, Cote, and Sheehan

     Date Introduced: February 01, 2018

     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 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 change the period of time a voter may have to change their party

affiliation from the ninetieth day preceding any primary election for which the voter is eligible to

vote to the twenty-ninth day preceding any primary election for which the voter is eligible to

vote.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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