2018 -- S 2756

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LC003873

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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: Senator Erin Lynch Prata

     Date Introduced: March 27, 2018

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     (Board of Elections)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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

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Offenses" is hereby repealed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC003873

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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

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

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

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC003873

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