Chapter 185

2010 -- S 2453

Enacted 06/25/10

 

A N A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS - REGISTRATION OF VOTERS

          

     Introduced By: Senators Lanzi, DiPalma, Miller, Gallo, and Tassoni

     Date Introduced: February 11, 2010

 

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

 

     SECTION 1. Section 17-9.1-27 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-9.1 entitled

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

 

     17-9.1-27. Periodic updating of voter registration records. -- (a) In every odd-

numbered year, the secretary of state shall update the central voter register using the United States

Postal Service National Change of Address (NCOA) Program. The office of the Secretary of

State shall be responsible for obtaining the NCOA data and providing each local board of

canvassers with their data; provided, that the updating shall be performed by each local board.

The NCOA list of address changes shall be compared by the local board with lists of registered

voters, and if address changes are detected for any voter, the local board shall institute the

confirmation process described in section 17-9.1-26.

     (b) Each local board of canvassers in each city or town shall send annually, a notice

prescribed by the secretary of state and marked "Do Not Forward – Return if Undeliverable", to

every active registered voter who has not voted in the past five (5) calendar years and has not

otherwise communicated with the board during that period of time, advising them of their current

polling place and voting eligibility, and informing them that mail that is returned as undeliverable

will initiate the confirmation process described in section 17-9.1-26; provided, however, that the

local boards shall not be obligated to send such notice if the state or federal government fails to

appropriate the necessary funds. The mailing shall take place in all municipalities and be

performed in a uniform manner, in accordance with standards adopted by the secretary of state

and the list maintenance procedures provided by the National Voting Rights Act, 42 U.S.C.

section 1973gg.

 

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

     

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LC01769

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