2019 -- S 0501

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LC001941

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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 - REGISTRATION OF VOTERS

     Introduced By: Senators Raptakis, Crowley, Paolino, Felag, and Lombardi

     Date Introduced: February 27, 2019

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     (Board of Elections)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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

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

     17-9.1-23. Party designation.

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

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

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

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

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

board of canvassers and a form provided by the state board designating his or her party affiliation

and certifying to the fact on the form furnished for that purpose.

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

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

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

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

signing of nomination papers.

     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) thirtieth 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 submit to 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 forms for changing party designation shall be available at all

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

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

(30) 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 allow registered voters to designate party affiliation by filing a state form

with the local canvassing board rather than in person and to change party affiliation within thirty

(30) days rather than ninety (90) days prior to a primary election by filing a state form rather than

an affidavit with the local board of canvassers rather than in person.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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