We, the people of this State which state shall henceforth be known as the state of Rhode Island, grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing upon our endeavors to secure and to transmit the same, unimpaired, to succeeding generations, do ordain and establish this Constitution of government.
Every citizen
of the United States of the age of eighteen
years or over who
has had residence and home in this state for thirty days next
preceding the time of voting,
who has resided thirty days in the town or city from which such citizen desires to
vote, and whose name shall be registered at least thirty
days next preceding the time of voting as provided by law, shall have the right to vote for all offices to be elected and on all questions
submitted to the electors, except that no person
who has been lawfully adjudicated to be non compos mentis shall be permitted to vote. No person who is
incarcerated in a correctional facility upon a felony conviction shall be permitted
to vote until such person is
discharged from the facility. Upon
discharge, such person’s right to vote shall be restored.
The general assembly
may provide by law for shorter state and local
residence requirements to vote for electors
for president and vice president of the United States.
The general
assembly shall provide
by law for the nomination of candidates; for a uniform system of permanent registration
of voters; for the exemption from such registration of persons in the active
service of the nation and their families absent from the state because
of such service, and, in time of war, members
of the Merchant Marine; for absentee and shut in voting; for the
time, manner and place of conducting
elections; for the prevention of abuse, corruption and fraud in voting; and may define by law residence for voting
purposes, but no person shall acquire
such residence merely by being stationed or
assigned in this state in the active service of the United States.