2023 -- S 0115

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LC000353

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- REGISTRATION OF VOTERS

     

     Introduced By: Senators Raptakis, McKenney, Tikoian, F. Lombardi, Euer, Ciccone,
Sosnowski, DiPalma, Burke, and LaMountain

     Date Introduced: February 01, 2023

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     (Secretary of State)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 17-9.1-23 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-9.1 entitled

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"Registration of Voters" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     17-9.1-23. Party designation.

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

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

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

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

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affiliation may do so by submitting to that person’s local board of canvassers a form provided by

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the state board designating his or her party affiliation and certifying to the fact on the form furnished

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for that purpose.

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

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

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local board shall record the affiliation on the appropriate form. For the purposes of this section,

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“participating in a party primary” does not include the circulation or signing of nomination papers.

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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 allow non-affiliated party voters to vote in party primaries, without

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becoming an affiliated party voter.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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