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5 | 5 | | 2023 -- H 5610 |
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7 | 7 | | LC001339 |
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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 - NOMINATION OF PARTY AND INDEPENDEN T |
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16 | 16 | | CANDIDATES - MAXIMUM NUMBER OF SU BMITTED NOMINATION S IGNATURES |
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17 | 17 | | Introduced By: Representatives Serpa, and Cardillo |
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18 | 18 | | Date Introduced: February 15, 2023 |
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19 | 19 | | Referred To: House State Government & Elections |
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20 | 20 | | |
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21 | 21 | | |
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22 | 22 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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23 | 23 | | SECTION 1. Section 17-14-7 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-14 entitled "Nomination 1 |
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24 | 24 | | of Party and Independent Candidates" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2 |
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25 | 25 | | 17-14-7. Number of signers required for nomination papers. 3 |
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26 | 26 | | (a) United States senator or governor. The nomination papers of a candidate for the party 4 |
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27 | 27 | | nomination or an independent candidate for presidential elector, United States senator, or governor 5 |
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28 | 28 | | shall be signed, in the aggregate, by at least one thousand (1,000) voters. Notwithstanding the 6 |
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29 | 29 | | foregoing, for the 2020 election only, the nomination papers of a candidate for the party nomination 7 |
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30 | 30 | | or an independent candidate for United States senator shall be signed, in the aggregate, by at least 8 |
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31 | 31 | | five hundred (500) voters. 9 |
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32 | 32 | | (b) Representative in Congress. The nomination papers of a candidate for the party 10 |
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33 | 33 | | nomination or an independent candidate for representative in Congress shall be signed, in the 11 |
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34 | 34 | | aggregate, by at least five hundred (500) voters. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the 2020 12 |
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35 | 35 | | election only, the nomination papers of a candidate for the party nomination or an independent 13 |
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36 | 36 | | candidate for representative in Congress shall be signed, in the aggregate, by at least two hundred 14 |
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37 | 37 | | fifty (250) voters. 15 |
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38 | 38 | | (c) General state offices. The nomination papers of a candidate for the party nomination or 16 |
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39 | 39 | | an independent candidate for any of the general offices of the state, excluding governor, shall be 17 |
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40 | 40 | | signed, in the aggregate, by at least five hundred (500) voters. 18 |
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42 | 42 | | |
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43 | 43 | | LC001339 - Page 2 of 3 |
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44 | 44 | | (d) State senator. The nomination papers of a candidate for a party nomination or 1 |
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45 | 45 | | independent candidate for senator in any senatorial district shall be signed, in the aggregate, by at 2 |
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46 | 46 | | least one hundred (100) voters of the senatorial district and the candidate shall submit no more than 3 |
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47 | 47 | | one hundred fifty (150) signatures for certification. 4 |
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48 | 48 | | (e) State representative. The nomination papers of a candidate for party nomination or an 5 |
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49 | 49 | | independent candidate for a member of the house of representatives from any representative district 6 |
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50 | 50 | | shall be signed, in the aggregate, by at least fifty (50) voters of the representative district and the 7 |
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51 | 51 | | candidate shall submit no more than one hundred (100) signatures for certification. 8 |
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52 | 52 | | (f) City offices. The nomination papers of a candidate for party nomination or an 9 |
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53 | 53 | | independent candidate for any local office to be filled by the voters of any city at large shall be 10 |
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54 | 54 | | signed, in the aggregate, by at least two hundred (200) voters of the city, provided that in the city 11 |
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55 | 55 | | of Newport, for at-large candidates or candidates for school committee, at least one hundred (100) 12 |
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56 | 56 | | signatures shall be required; provided, further, that in the city of Woonsocket, for candidates for 13 |
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57 | 57 | | citywide nonpartisan office, including city council, mayor, and candidates for school committee, if 14 |
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58 | 58 | | elected, at least one hundred (100) signatures shall be required; and provided, further that in the 15 |
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59 | 59 | | city of Providence, at least five hundred (500) signatures shall be required. Any candidate required 16 |
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60 | 60 | | to submit a minimum of one hundred (100) signatures for nomination by this subsection, shall 17 |
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61 | 61 | | submit no more than one hundred fifty (150) signatures seeking certification. 18 |
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62 | 62 | | (g) Voting district moderator or clerk. The nomination papers for a candidate for voting 19 |
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63 | 63 | | district moderator or clerk in any town shall be signed, in the aggregate, by at least ten (10) voters 20 |
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64 | 64 | | of the voting district. 21 |
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65 | 65 | | (h) Other offices. The nomination papers of a candidate for party nomination for other 22 |
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66 | 66 | | offices covered by ยง 17-15-7, or for the election of delegates or for unendorsed party committee 23 |
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67 | 67 | | candidates, shall be signed, in the aggregate, by fifty (50) voters and the candidate shall submit no 24 |
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68 | 68 | | more than seventy-five (75) signatures for certification. 25 |
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69 | 69 | | (i) After certifying voter signatures in a sum equal to or greater than fifty percent (50%) 26 |
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70 | 70 | | above the minimum number necessary for a candidate to be qualified pursuant to the provisions of 27 |
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71 | 71 | | this section, the board of canvassers may stop further certification of signatures. 28 |
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72 | 72 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2024. 29 |
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73 | 73 | | ======== |
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74 | 74 | | LC001339 |
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75 | 75 | | ======== |
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76 | 76 | | |
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77 | 77 | | |
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78 | 78 | | LC001339 - Page 3 of 3 |
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79 | 79 | | EXPLANATION |
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80 | 80 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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81 | 81 | | OF |
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82 | 82 | | A N A C T |
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83 | 83 | | RELATING TO ELECTIONS - NOMINATION OF PARTY AND INDEPENDENT |
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84 | 84 | | CANDIDATES - MAXIMUM NUMBER OF SU BMITTED NOMINATION S IGNATURES |
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85 | 85 | | *** |
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86 | 86 | | This act would limit the number of signatures that a candidate may submit for certification, 1 |
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87 | 87 | | to one hundred (100) if fifty (50) signatures are required and to one hundred fifty (150) when one 2 |
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88 | 88 | | hundred (100) signatures are required. 3 |
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89 | 89 | | This act would take effect on January 1, 2024. 4 |
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90 | 90 | | ======== |
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91 | 91 | | LC001339 |
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