2020 -- H 7901

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LC004819

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- REGISTRATION OF VOTERS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Serodio, and Noret

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2020

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     (Board of Elections)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 17-9.1-8 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-9.1 entitled "Registration

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of Voters" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     17-9.1-8. Registration at designated agencies.

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     (a) Every person who is or may be by the next general election qualified to vote may

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register to vote when being discharged from incarceration or when applying for services or

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assistance at any of the following offices:

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     (1) Any office in the state that provides public assistance;

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     (2) At or through any offices in the state that provide state funded programs primarily

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engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities;

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     (3) At armed forces recruitment offices, subject to procedures developed by the state board

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in cooperation with the United States Department of Defense;

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     (4) At or through the department of corrections; and

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     (5) At any other agencies within the state that shall be determined by the state board.

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     (b) Voter registration agencies designated by the state board may include, but are not

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limited to:

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     (1) State or local government offices such as public libraries, public schools, offices of city

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and towns clerks (including marriage license bureaus), fishing and hunting license bureaus,

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government revenue offices, unemployment compensation offices, and offices not described in

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subdivision (a)(2) of this section that provide services to persons with disabilities; and

 

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     (2) Federal and nongovernmental offices, with the agreement of those offices.

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     (c)(1) Persons must be provided this opportunity to register to vote not only at the time of

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their original application for services, but also when filing any recertification, renewal, or for a

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change of address relating to those services. Agencies providing voter registration assistance must

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offer the same degree of assistance to individuals in completing a voter registration form as they

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offer to individuals in completing the agency's own forms, unless the applicant refuses the

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assistance.

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     (2) Any person who provides voter registration assistance services in an agency is

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prohibited from:

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     (i) Seeking to influence an applicant's party preference or party registration;

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     (ii) Displaying any political preference or party allegiance;

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     (iii) Making any statement or taking any action whose purpose or effect is to discourage

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the applicant from registering to vote; or

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     (iv) Making any statement or taking any action whose purpose or effect is to lead the

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applicant to believe that a decision whether or not to register has any bearing on the availability of

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services or benefits or on discharge from incarceration.

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     (d)(1) Those who decline to register to vote must do so in writing or by failing to check a

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box on a form containing the question: "If you are not registered to vote where you live now, would

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you like to apply to register to vote here today? yes or no".

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     (2) The declination may be included in the agency application for services or on a separate

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form provided by the agency, subject to rules and regulations to be adopted by the state board.

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     (3) No information regarding a person's declination to register to vote may be used for any

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purpose other than voter registration. If an individual does register to vote, the particular agency at

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which the applicant submits a voter registration application may not be publicly disclosed.

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     (4) The declination form to be used at agencies providing public or publicly funded

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assistance shall also contain the following statements and information:

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     (i) "Applying to register or declining to register to vote will not affect the amount of

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assistance that you will be provided by this agency"; or, for those forms made available by the

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department of corrections. "Applying to register or declining to register to vote will not affect your

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discharge from incarceration";

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     (ii) "If you do not check either box, you will be considered to have decided not to register

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to vote at this time." (with "yes" and "no" boxes being provided);

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     (iii) "If you would like help filling out the voter registration application form, we will help

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you. The decision whether to seek or accept help is yours. You may fill out the application form in

 

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private";

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     (iv) "If you believe that someone has interfered with your right to register or to decline to

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register to vote, your right to privacy in deciding whether to register or in applying to register to

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vote, or your right to choose your own political party or other political preference, you may file a

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complaint with the State Board of Elections, 50 Branch Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island 02904

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2000 Plainfield Pike, Cranston, Rhode Island 02921, (401) 222-2345, (401) 222-2239 TDD";

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     (v) A statement that if the applicant declines to register to vote, his or her decision will

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remain confidential and be used only for voter registration purposes; and

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     (vi) A statement that if the applicant does register to vote, information regarding the agency

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to which the application was submitted will remain confidential, to be used only for voter

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registration purposes.

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     (e)(1) The registration form to be provided in these agencies shall be the mail registration

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form adopted by the state board. Unless the registrant refuses to permit the agency to transmit the

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form to the state board or local board where the applicant resides, the agency shall transmit the

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completed registration form to the state board or any local board. However, if the registrant refuses,

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the registrant may either mail the form to the state board or any local board or may provide for

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delivery of the form to the state board or any local board either in person or through a third party.

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It shall be the responsibility of all state or state funded agencies to have available at all times a

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sufficient number of voter registration forms in order to carry out the provisions of this section.

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     (2) Unless the applicant refuses to permit the agency to transmit the completed voter

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registration form to the state board or to a local board, the agency shall be required to transmit the

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registration form within ten (10) days after acceptance, or if accepted on the last day or within five

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(5) days before the last day to register for an election, within five (5) days of acceptance.

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     (f) The department of corrections and each agency designated by the board to register

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persons to vote when applying for services or assistance shall report to the state board:

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     (1) The number of persons applying for services and assistance or the number of persons

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discharged from incarceration following felony convictions who are eligible to vote;

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     (2) The number of persons who have been registered to vote at that agency;

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     (3) The number of forms that have been transmitted by the agency to the state or local

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board; and

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     (4) The number of persons who have declined to register to vote at that agency. Reports to

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the state board by each designated agency shall be on a quarterly basis.

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     (g) Any person who has fully and correctly completed an application to register to vote at

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a designated agency is presumed to be registered as of the date of the acceptance of the registration

 

LC004819 - Page 3 of 5

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by the designated agency, subject to verification of the registration by the state board or any local

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board as provided in ยง 17-9.1-25.

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     (h) If a voter registration agency which is primarily engaged in providing services to

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persons with disabilities provides those services at the person's home, the agency shall provide the

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voter registration services authorized by this section at the person's home.

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     (i) The state board of elections shall have the authority to adopt regulations to implement

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and administer the provisions of this section, including all registrations taken at designated

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agencies.

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     (j) In cases where the findings required by subdivision 17-6-1.2(a)(4) have been made,

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transmission shall be made by electronic means as prescribed by the secretary of state, and shall be

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in an electronic form compatible with the voter registration system maintained by the secretary of

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state.

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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 -- REGISTRATION OF VOTERS

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     This act would change the address of the board of elections to their new location in

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Cranston in the "registration of voters" chapter.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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