2020 -- S 2597

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LC005037

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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 -- CANVASSING THE LISTS OF QUALIFIED ELECTORS

     Introduced By: Senator Erin Lynch Prata

     Date Introduced: February 25, 2020

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     (Board of Elections)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 17-10-15 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-10 entitled "Canvassing

the Lists of Qualified Electors" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     17-10-15. Use of registration cards at polls.

     (a) The local board shall remove from the container used for that purpose the original

registration cards of persons found by the board not to be qualified to vote at the election for which

the registry has been canvassed pursuant to this chapter. These removed cards shall be carefully

preserved in a separate file to be maintained for that purpose. At that time, the remaining cards shall

be secured in their container so that no card may be removed without breaking a seal or otherwise

making it appear that a card has been tampered with. The local board shall certify that the cards are

a true and complete list of all qualified voters of the voting district as of the date of the certificate,

and shall insert the certificate at the front of the container.

     (b) A complete electronic or paper list of all qualified voters of each voting district who

are eligible to vote in each voting district in the election, as certified by the local board, shall then

be delivered to the warden of each polling place to be used as the certified voting list for each voting

district. The certified list of voters for each voting district shall be signed and/or otherwise certified

by the local board in accordance with regulations to be adopted by the state board. The local board

may divide the registration of any voting district into two (2) or more sections for greater

convenience of use at the polls. In addition, each warden shall be provided with a certified list of

all voters eligible to vote in the election in the entire city or town, and this list shall be signed and/or

otherwise certified by the local board in accordance with regulations to be adopted by the state

board.

     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 -- CANVASSING THE LISTS OF QUALIFIED ELECTORS

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     This act would permit the use of e-pollbooks of the list of qualified voters at each polling

place.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC005037

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