Chapter 386
2011 -- H 6176 SUBSTITUTE A AS
AMENDED
Enacted 07/13/11
A N A C T
RELATING TO
ELECTIONS
Introduced By: Representatives Blazejewski, Morgan, Chippendale, McLaughlin,
and Bennett
Date Introduced: May 19, 2011
It is enacted by the
General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Title 17 of the General Laws entitled
"ELECTIONS" is hereby amended by
adding thereto the following chapter:
CHAPTER
29
VOTER
CHOICE ACT
17-29-1.
Short title. -- This chapter shall be known and
may be cited as the "Voter
Choice Act."
17-29-2.
Legislative declaration. -- (a) The general assembly hereby finds and declares
that:
(1) Majority rule is
a fundamental principle of representative democracy, and the state's
election laws should uphold and facilitate this principle.
(2) In an election
where more than two (2) candidates are running for an office, the
candidate who receives a plurality of the votes may actually be
opposed by the majority of voters.
(3) The state's
current voting method limits voters' choices and contributes to lower voter
participation.
(4) It is in the
public interest to examine
comprehensive reforms that would expand the choices realistically
available to voters, increase
participation, address the concerns of the major political parties,
save money, and increase
accountability.
(b) The general
assembly further finds and declares that instant runoff voting and other
advanced voting methods have the potential to:
(1) Expand the range
of choices available to voters by allowing them to vote for
candidates of minor political parties or unaffiliated candidates
without fear of giving an
advantage to the candidate they least prefer;
(2) Reduce both
election administration costs and campaign expenditures by combining
primary and general elections; and
(3) Promote campaigns
that are more positive and focused on issues because candidates
will seek to appeal to opponents' supporters as a second
choice.
17-29-3. Voter
choice study commission - established - definitions. -- (a) The voter
choice study commission is hereby established for the
purpose of studying instant runoff voting
and other advanced voting methods.
(b) As used in this
chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, "Advanced voting
method" means a voting method that allows an elector to
indicate a preference for more than one
candidate in an election and that determines the winner of the
election by majority vote.
"Advanced voting method" includes, but is
not limited to, instant runoff voting, approval voting,
range voting, and proportional voting.
(c) The voter choice
study commission shall consist of fourteen (14) members selected as
follows:
(1) Seven (7) members
to be appointed by the speaker of the house, no more than five (5)
of whom shall be from the same political party, and at
least three (3) of whom shall be the clerk
of a city or town of this state;
(2) Seven (7) members
to be appointed by the president of the senate, no more than five
(5) of whom shall be from the
same political party, at least two (2) of whom shall be the clerk of a
city or town of this state; and
(3) Provided, that
all members of the study commission shall be registered voters of this
state at the time of their selection and at all times while
they remain on said study group.
(d) Members of the
voter choice study group shall be appointed no later than August 1,
2011.
(e) The voter choice
study commission shall:
(1) Study advanced
voting methods;
(2) Analyze the
requirements for implementing advanced voting methods, including
public education, voting equipment and technology, ballot
designs, the costs of conducting the
pilot project established by this chapter and using
advanced voting methods in elections for state
and federal offices, and savings due to the elimination
of primary elections;
(3) Determine the level of public support for a change in voting
methods;
(4) Review the
experience of other states in conducting elections using advanced voting
methods;
(5) Recommend
statutory changes to implement advanced voting methods in elections for
state and federal offices to be held in the state in 2014;
(6) Make
recommendations on making all voting systems used in the state compatible
with advanced voting methods by 2014, including a review
of the availability and costs of
necessary voting equipment;
(7) Make
recommendations to the governing bodies and designated election officials of
political subdivisions of the state on preparing to conduct an
election using an advanced voting
methods; and
(8) Consider changes to the state's statutes governing access to
the ballot for presidential
candidates.
(f) The voter choice
study commission shall present a report on its work to the general
assembly, the governor, and the secretary of state no later
than January 4, 2012.
(g) The director of
research of the legislative council and the director of the office of
legislative legal services shall provide staff assistance to the
voter choice study commission.
(h) The members of the
voter choice study commission shall serve without compensation;
except that the members shall be reimbursed for necessary
expenses incurred in the performance
of their duties.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC02600/SUB A
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