2023 -- S 0613

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LC002384

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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 -- VOTING DISTRICTS AND OFFICIALS

     

     Introduced By: Senators F. Lombardi, Felag, Britto, Burke, and Ciccone

     Date Introduced: March 07, 2023

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 17-11-1.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-11 entitled "Voting

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Districts and Officials" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     17-11-1.1. Combination of voting districts for special election.

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     (a) The board of canvassers of any city or town at which there shall be submitted to the

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voters a question or questions for their approval or rejection or at which officials will be elected,

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shall have the authority to combine two (2) or more voting districts, when in its judgment the

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combination is advisable,. and when combined shall be treated as a voting district, The board may

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by unanimous vote make such designation for any special election, but only upon the approval of

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the board of elections.

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     (b) If voting districts are combined as provided in subsection (a), the local board must

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advertise the combination of districts in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or town no

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less than seven (7) days and no more than twenty-one (21) days before the special election.

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     (c) [Deleted by P.L. 2019, ch. 69, § 1 and P.L. 2019, ch. 79, § 1.]

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     (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b), the board of canvassers of

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the town of Bristol may combine two (2) or more voting districts for the representative district 68

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special election in March, 2019, and when combined shall be treated as a voting district, but only

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upon the approval of the board of elections.

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     SECTION 2. Section 17-15-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-15 entitled "Primary

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Elections" is hereby amended to read as follows:

 

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     17-15-5. Combination of voting districts.

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     Local boards shall have the power to combine two (2) or more voting districts within the

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same ward, and senatorial or representative district, if applicable. and the combined district shall

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be treated as a voting district, The local board may by unanimous vote make such designation for

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any primary, special primary, or presidential preference primary, but only upon the approval of the

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board of elections.

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     SECTION 3. 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 -- VOTING DISTRICTS AND OFFICIALS

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     This act would require a unanimous vote of the local board of canvassers for the

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combination of voting districts for any special election and would require a unanimous vote of the

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local board of canvassers for the combination of voting districts for any primary, special election

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or presidential preference primary.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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