Chapter 141 |
2019 -- S 0589 SUBSTITUTE A AS AMENDED Enacted 07/08/2019 |
A N A C T |
RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- VOTER REGISTRATION |
Introduced By: Senator Mark P. McKenney |
Date Introduced: March 14, 2019 |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
SECTION 1. Sections 17-9.1-23 and 17-9.1-24 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-9.1 |
entitled "Registration of Voters" are hereby amended to read as follows: |
17-9.1-23. Party designation. |
(a) Whenever any person registers to vote, that person may designate his or her party |
affiliation, or that person may designate that he or she is not affiliated with any political party. |
The information shall be recorded on a form prescribed by the state board of elections. |
(b) Any person who is already registered to vote and wishes to designate his or her party |
affiliation may do so by voluntarily presenting himself or herself submitting to that person's local |
board of canvassers and a form provided by the state board designating his or her party affiliation |
and certifying to the fact on the form furnished for that purpose. |
(c) Whenever any person participates in a party primary, that act shall serve as |
identifying the person as being affiliated with the party in whose primary that person has |
participated and the local board shall record the affiliation on the appropriate form. For the |
purposes of this section, "participating in a party primary" does not include the circulation or |
signing of nomination papers. |
17-9.1-24. Change of designation. |
(a) Any person who has designated his or her party affiliation pursuant to § 17-9.1-23 |
may change the designation on or before the ninetieth (90th) thirtieth day preceding any primary |
election for which the person is eligible. Whenever any person desires to change his or her party |
designation, that person shall appear before submit to the local board of the city or town in which |
that person has his or her residence, as defined in § 17-1-3.1, or before the clerk or other duly |
authorized agent of the board, and shall change his or her party designation and, after the |
information has been recorded on the form furnished for that purpose, the person shall sign his or |
her name and certify to the truth of the facts recorded in the appropriate spaces in the form; or the |
person shall furnish an affidavit properly executed and signed by him or her to the board directing |
the board to change the party designation. Whenever any person is unable to sign his or her name |
because of physical incapacity or otherwise, that person shall make his or her mark "(X)", which |
shall be witnessed by the person receiving the registration. For the convenience of persons voting |
at a primary election, affidavits forms for changing party designation shall be available at all |
primary polling places. The presence of the affidavits forms at the primary polling place shall not |
be construed to allow a person to change his or her party designation within ninety (90) thirty |
(30) days preceding the primary election. |
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, affidavits for |
changing party designation which are executed by voters at polling places immediately after |
voting in primary elections conducted in the city of Warwick in January, 2000, shall take effect |
immediately. |
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, affidavits for |
changing party designation which are executed by voters at polling places immediately after |
voting in primary elections conducted in senate district 20 comprising parts of the city of |
Woonsocket and town of Cumberland in March, 2008, shall take effect immediately. |
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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LC001541/SUB A |
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