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| 9 | 9 | | S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
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| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- REGISTRATION OF VOTERS |
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| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Representatives Baginski, Shanley, Potter, and Fenton-Fung |
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| 17 | 17 | | Date Introduced: February 03, 2023 |
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| 18 | 18 | | Referred To: House State Government & Elections |
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| 19 | 19 | | |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 1. Section 17-9.1-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-9.1 entitled "Registration 1 |
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| 23 | 23 | | of Voters" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2 |
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| 25 | 25 | | (a) The local boards shall open their respective offices for the purposes of receiving 4 |
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| 26 | 26 | | registration of voters throughout the year during the regular business hours. Registration for any 5 |
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| 27 | 27 | | election shall close on the thirtieth (30th) day preceding an election; provided, that local boards 6 |
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| 28 | 28 | | shall not receive the registration on Sundays or legal holidays, and may receive the registrations 7 |
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| 29 | 29 | | during additional hours each day from the fortieth (40th) to the thirtieth (30th) day before any 8 |
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| 30 | 30 | | election. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as restricting the right of statewide or 9 |
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| 31 | 31 | | local registration agents or members of the general assembly to accept registrations of voters on 10 |
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| 32 | 32 | | any day. The acceptance of registrations at any other time shall not affect the validity of any 11 |
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| 33 | 33 | | election. 12 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (b) Notwithstanding any other sections of the general laws to the contrary, all local boards 13 |
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| 35 | 35 | | of canvassers shall remain open from eight-thirty (8:30) a.m. until four o’clock (4:00) p.m. on the 14 |
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| 36 | 36 | | last day prescribed by law for the taking of voter registrations to permit participation of the voters 15 |
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| 37 | 37 | | in the next succeeding election. In the event that the last day prescribed by law for the taking of 16 |
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| 38 | 38 | | voter registrations is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, then the local board may; 17 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (1) Designate one publicly accessible location in the city or town at which voter 18 |
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| 40 | 40 | | registrations will be taken; and 19 |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 44 | 44 | | (2) Designate the hours during which voter registration will be taken at that location, which 1 |
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| 45 | 45 | | hours shall include the hours from one o’clock (1:00) p.m. until four o’clock (4:00) p.m. 2 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (c) If a local board does designate a location other than its regular place of business or does 3 |
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| 47 | 47 | | designate hours other than eight-thirty o’clock (8:30) a.m. until four o’clock (4:00) p.m., it shall: 4 |
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| 48 | 48 | | (1) Publicly announce those designation(s) at least ten (10) days prior to the last day 5 |
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| 49 | 49 | | provided by law for the taking of voter registrations; and 6 |
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| 50 | 50 | | (2) Advertise those designation(s) in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or town 7 |
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| 51 | 51 | | at least twice prior to the last day prescribed by law for the taking of voter registrations. The local 8 |
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| 52 | | - | board may substitute advertising in a newspaper by posting a conspicuous and prominent notice of 9 |
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| 53 | | - | those designation(s) on the municipality's website for at least ten (10) consecutive days leading up 10 |
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| 54 | | - | to the last day prescribed by law for the taking of voter registrations. 11 |
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| 55 | | - | SECTION 2. Chapter 17-8 of the General Laws entitled "Local Canvassing Authorities" is 12 |
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| 56 | | - | hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 13 |
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| 57 | | - | 17-8-11. Publication of early voting dates, hours, and location. 14 |
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| 58 | | - | (a) The local board shall advertise the dates, hours, and location of early voting in a 15 |
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| 59 | | - | newspaper of general circulation in the city or town at least twice prior to the commencement of 16 |
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| 60 | | - | any in-person early voting period to be conducted by the local board. 17 |
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| 61 | | - | (b) The local board shall publish a conspicuous and prominent notice on the municipality's 18 |
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| 62 | | - | website of the dates, hours, and location of early voting, and said notice shall remain published 19 |
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| 63 | | - | throughout the duration of any in-person early voting period conducted by the local board. 20 |
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| 64 | | - | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 21 |
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| 52 | + | board may substitute advertising in a newspaper by posting notice of those designation(s) on the 9 |
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| 53 | + | municipality's website for at least ten (10) consecutive days leading up to the last day prescribed 10 |
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| 54 | + | by law for the taking of voter registrations. 11 |
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| 55 | + | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 12 |
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