2019 -- S 0628

========

LC001945

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS - ELECTIVE MEETINGS

     

     Introduced By: Senators Goldin, Euer, DiPalma, Algiere, and Lynch Prata

     Date Introduced: March 14, 2019

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     (Board of Elections)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

1

     SECTION 1. Section 17-18-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-18 entitled "Elective

2

Meetings" is hereby amended to read as follows:

3

     17-18-10. Time of opening of polls.

4

     (a) Elective meetings in the cities and towns named in this section shall be opened for the

5

purpose of voting at the hours specified for each particular city or town as designated in the

6

specific time as follows:

7

     (1) Barrington Polls open at 7 a.m.

8

     (2) Bristol Polls open at 7 a.m.

9

     (3) Burrillville Polls open at 7 a.m.

10

     (4) Central Falls Polls open at 7 a.m.

11

     (5) Charlestown Polls open at 7 a.m.

12

      for the biennial general election

13

      and 9 a.m. for all other elections

14

     (6) Coventry Polls open at 7 a.m.

15

     (7) Cranston Polls open at 7 a.m.

16

     (8) Cumberland Polls open at 7 a.m.

17

     (9) East Greenwich Polls open at 7 a.m.

18

     (10) East Providence Polls open at 7 a.m.

19

     (11) Exeter Polls open at 7 a.m.

 

1

     (12) Foster Polls open at 7 a.m.

2

     (13) Glocester Polls open at 7 a.m.

3

     (14) Hopkinton Polls open at 7 a.m.

4

     (15) Jamestown Polls open at 7 a.m.

5

      for the biennial general election

6

      and 8 a.m. for all other elections

7

     (16) Johnston Polls open at 7 a.m.

8

     (17) Lincoln Polls open at 7:00 a.m.

9

     (18) Little Compton Polls open at 7 a.m.

10

     (19) Middletown Polls open at 7 a.m.

11

      and 7 a.m. for Presidential Elections only

12

     (20) Narragansett Polls open at 7 a.m.

13

     (21) Newport Polls open at 7 a.m.

14

     (22) New Shoreham Polls open at 9 a.m.

15

     (23) North Kingstown Polls open at 7 a.m.

16

     (24) North Providence Polls open at 7 a.m.

17

     (25) North Smithfield Polls open at 7 a.m.

18

     (26) Pawtucket Polls open at 7 a.m.

19

     (27) Portsmouth Polls open at 7 a.m.

20

     (28) Providence Polls open at 7 a.m.

21

     (29) Richmond Polls open at 7 a.m.

22

     (30) Scituate Polls open at 7 a.m.

23

     (31) Smithfield Polls open at 7 a.m.

24

     (32) South Kingstown Polls open at 7 a.m.

25

     (33) Tiverton Polls open at 7 a.m.

26

     (34) Warren Polls open at 7 a.m.

27

     (35) Warwick Polls open at 7 a.m.

28

     (36) Westerly Polls open at 7 a.m.

29

     (37) West Greenwich Polls open at 7 a.m.

30

     (38) West Warwick Polls open at 7 a.m.

31

     (39) Woonsocket Polls open at 7 a.m.

32

     (b) In all special or primary elections in the towns of Hopkinton, Westerly, and Little

33

Compton, polls shall open at 9:00 a.m.

34

     (c) In all presidential preference primaries in the town of New Shoreham, polls shall open

 

LC001945 - Page 2 of 4

1

at 12:00 p.m.

2

     (d) In all primary elections in all cities and towns, polls may open at 7:00 a.m. Notice

3

shall be given and posted by the local board.

4

     SECTION 2. Section 17-20-16 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-20 entitled "Mail

5

Ballots" is hereby amended to read as follows:

6

     17-20-16. Time of casting vote.

7

     Mail ballots may be cast in the manner provided by law on or before election day;

8

provided, that no mail ballot shall be counted unless it is received by the state board not later than

9

the time prescribed by § 17-18-11 for the closing of polling places on election day, except ballots

10

cast under the provisions of § 17-20-6.1, which shall be counted if received by the state board by

11

four o'clock p.m. (4:00) on the third day following a primary or four o'clock p.m. (4:00) on the

12

seventh day following an election.

13

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC001945

========

 

LC001945 - Page 3 of 4

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS - ELECTIVE MEETINGS

***

1

     This act would mandate that all polling places in all cities or towns, except New

2

Shoreham, would open at seven (7:00 a.m.) It would also provide that ballots cast by citizens who

3

are covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and other

4

citizens residing outside the United States shall be counted when received by four o'clock p.m.

5

(4:00) on the third day following a primary or four o'clock p.m. (4:00) on the seventh day

6

following an election.

7

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC001945

========

 

LC001945 - Page 4 of 4