2019 -- H 5715

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LC001545

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- VOTER REGISTRATION

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Alzate, Casimiro, Mendez, Tobon, and Blazejewski

     Date Introduced: February 27, 2019

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     (Secretary of State)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 17-9.1-23 and 17-9.1-24 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-9.1

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entitled "Registration of Voters" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     17-9.1-23. Party designation.

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     (a) Whenever any person registers to vote, that person may designate his or her party

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affiliation, or that person may designate that he or she is not affiliated with any political party.

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The information shall be recorded on a form prescribed by the state board of elections.

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     (b) Any person who is already registered to vote and wishes to designate his or her party

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affiliation may do so by voluntarily presenting himself or herself to that person's local board of

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canvassers and designating his or her party affiliation and certifying to the fact on the form

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furnished for that purpose.

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     (c) Whenever any person participates in a party primary, that act shall serve as

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identifying the person as being affiliated with the party in whose primary that person has

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participated and the local board shall record the affiliation on the appropriate form. For the

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purposes of this section, "participating in a party primary" does not include the circulation or

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signing of nomination papers.

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     17-9.1-24. Change of designation.

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     (a) Any person, other than a candidate, who has designated his or her party affiliation

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

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preceding any primary election for which the person is eligible. Whenever any person desires to

 

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change his or her party designation, that person shall appear before the local board of the city or

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town in which that person has his or her residence, as defined in § 17-1-3.1, or before the clerk or

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other duly authorized agent of the board, and shall change his or her party designation and, after

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the information has been recorded on the form furnished for that purpose, the person shall sign

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his or her name and certify to the truth of the facts recorded in the appropriate spaces in the form;

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or the person shall furnish an affidavit properly executed and signed by him or her to the board

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directing the board to change the party designation. Whenever any person is unable to sign his or

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her name because of physical incapacity or otherwise, that person shall make his or her mark

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"(X)", which shall be witnessed by the person receiving the registration. For the convenience of

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persons voting at a primary election, affidavits for changing party designation shall be available

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at all primary polling places. The presence of the affidavits at the primary polling place shall not

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be construed to allow a person to change his or her party designation within ninety (90) thirty

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(30) days preceding the primary election.

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

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

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

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immediately.

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

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

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

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

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     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 -- VOTER REGISTRATION

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     This act would remove the requirement that any person who participates in a party

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primary be recorded with that party's affiliation. It would also allow any person, other than the

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candidate, to change their party affiliation thirty (30) days rather than the current ninety (90) days

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before the primary.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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