Introduced By: Representatives M. Anderson, Kilmartin, Coderre, SanBento and Montalbano
Date Introduced : January 22, 1998
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 17-11-1.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-11 entitled "Voting Districts And Officials" is hereby amended to read as follows:
17-11-1.1. Combination of voting districts for special elections. -- (a) The board of canvassers of any city or town, for any special election to be held therein at which there will be submitted to the voters a question or questions for their approval or rejection but at which no state or local officials will be elected, shall have the power to combine two (2) or more voting districts within the same ward or senatorial and representative district, when in its judgment the combination is advisable, and when so combined shall be treated as a voting district. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for any special election at which there is on the ballot for all offices to be filled at the election only one candidate for each office, the board of canvassers of the city or town shall have the authority to combine likewise two (2) or more voting districts, but only upon the approval of the board of elections.
(b) If voting districts are combined as provided in subsection (a), the local board must advertise the combination of districts in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or town no less than seven (7) days and no more than twenty-one (21) days before the special election.
{ADD (c) The board of canvassers of the city of Pawtucket shall have the power to combine two (2) or more voting districts within the same ward or senatorial and representative district, notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, for a special election to be held on March 3, 1998. Said districts shall be combined in the same manner as the primary to be held February 17, 1998. ADD}
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
