Title 3
Alcoholic Beverages

Chapter 5
Licenses Generally

R.I. Gen. Laws § 3-5-2

§ 3-5-2. Local option — Questions put to electors — Petition for election.

(a) In every election in every town and city, held for the election of town or city officers, the official or officials charged with the duty of preparing the official ballot labels, shall cause to be printed on these ballot labels the following questions:

“Shall licenses for the sale of beverages as defined in chapters 5, 6, and 7 of title 3, be issued in this town (or city)?”

“Shall retailers’ Class C beverage licenses provided for in § 3-7-8, be issued in this town (or city)?”

(b) No vote may be taken on either of those questions in any town or city unless a number of qualified electors equal in cities to ten percent (10%) and in towns to fifteen per cent (15%) of the total legal vote cast in the city or town for governor at the general election next preceding shall petition the clerk or the official acting as the secretary or clerk of the board of canvassers and registration, or the board, body or official exercising in that town or city the powers of such a board, at least twenty (20) days prior to the election and the clerk or other official shall, on the petition, insert a provision for the taking of the vote or votes in the warrant calling the town, ward or district meeting.

History of Section.
P.L. 1933, ch. 2013, § 25; P.L. 1934, ch. 2088, § 7; G.L. 1938, ch. 171, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 3-5-2.