2019 -- S 0474 SUBSTITUTE A

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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 - VOTING DISTRICTS AND OFFICIALS

     Introduced By: Senators Crowley, Quezada, Sheehan, Lombardi, and Nesselbush

     Date Introduced: February 27, 2019

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     (Board of Elections)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 17-11-1.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-11 entitled "Voting

Districts and Officials" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     17-11-1.1. Combination of voting districts for special election.

     (a) The board of canvassers of any city or town at which there shall be submitted to the

voters a question or questions for their approval or rejection but or at which no state or local

officials will be elected, shall have the authority to combine two (2) or more voting districts,

when in its judgment the combination is advisable, and when combined shall be treated as a

voting district, but only upon the approval of the board of elections.

     (b) If voting districts are combined as provided in subsection (a) of this section, the local

board must advertise the combination of districts in a newspaper of general circulation in the city

or town no less than seven (7) days and no more than twenty-one (21) days before the special

election.

     (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the board of

canvassers of the city of Woonsocket or the town of Cumberland may combine two (2) or more

voting districts for the senate district 20 special election in April, 2008 and when combined shall

be treated as a voting district, but only upon the approval of the board of elections.

     If voting districts are combined pursuant to this subsection, the local board must advertise

the combination of districts in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or town no less than

three (3) days before the special election.

     SECTION 2. Section 17-15-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-15 entitled "Primary

Elections" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     17-15-5. Combination of voting districts.

     Local boards shall have the power to combine two (2) or more voting districts within the

same ward, and senatorial or representative district, when the absence of local contests within the

combined voting districts makes this combination possible, and the combined district shall be

treated as a voting district, but only upon the approval of the board of elections.

     SECTION 3. 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 - VOTING DISTRICTS AND OFFICIALS

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     This act would allow local boards of canvassers to combine voting districts in special

elections for approval/rejection of questions or when officials will be elected or in primary

elections but only with board of election approval.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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