| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
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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 -- GENERAL PROVISIONS |
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| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Senators Lawson, Kallman, Lauria, Miller, Acosta, DiMario, Euer, |
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| 17 | 17 | | Murray, Gallo, and F. Lombardi |
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| 18 | 18 | | Date Introduced: January 18, 2023 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Referred To: Senate Judiciary |
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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 17-1-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-1 entitled "General 1 |
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| 24 | 24 | | Provisions" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2 |
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| 25 | 25 | | 17-1-3. Eligibility to vote. 3 |
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| 26 | 26 | | (a) Every citizen of the United States who is at least eighteen (18) years of age, whose 4 |
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| 27 | 27 | | residence as defined in § 17-1-3.1 has been in this state for at least thirty (30) days, and in the town 5 |
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| 28 | 28 | | or city and voting district in which that person desires to cast his or her vote at least thirty (30) days 6 |
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| 29 | 29 | | next preceding the election, and who is registered in that city or town and voting district at least 7 |
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| 30 | 30 | | thirty (30) days next preceding any election, shall be entitled to vote in the election; provided, a 8 |
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| 31 | 31 | | person may vote in a primary election only if that person is eligible under the provisions of this 9 |
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| 32 | 32 | | title. A person who has not registered to vote, or whose registration has been canceled pursuant to 10 |
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| 33 | 33 | | § 17-10-1, may cast a vote for president and vice-president on election day at his or her city or town 11 |
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| 34 | 34 | | hall or at an alternate location designated by the board of canvassers, and approved by the board of 12 |
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| 35 | 35 | | elections, where such location is deemed necessary to better accommodate such voters. The casting 13 |
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| 36 | 36 | | of that vote shall commence the process of voter registration and subject the person voting to the 14 |
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| 37 | 37 | | requirements and penalties of this chapter. 15 |
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| 38 | 38 | | (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, any person who has 16 |
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| 39 | | - | not yet reached age eighteen (18), but will be age eighteen (18) at the time of a general election, 17 |
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| 40 | | - | may vote in a primary election, in which candidates are nominated for a general or special election. 18 |
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| 41 | | - | (c) The provisions of subsection (b) of this section shall not extend to any other elections. 19 |
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| 39 | + | not yet reached eighteen (18) years of age, may vote in a primary election, in which candidates are 17 |
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| 40 | + | nominated for a general or special election, that will occur when the individual is eighteen (18) 18 |
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| 41 | + | years of age. 19 |
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| 58 | | - | This act would, effective January 1, 2024, allow individuals, who have not reached the age 1 |
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| 59 | | - | of eighteen (18) years, to vote in a primary election, as long as the voter will be eighteen (18), as 2 |
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| 60 | | - | of the date of the general or special election. 3 |
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| 61 | | - | This act would take effect on January 1, 2024. 4 |
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| 59 | + | This act would allow individuals, who have not reached the age of eighteen (18) years, to 1 |
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| 60 | + | vote in a primary election, as long as the voter will be eighteen (18), as of the date of the general 2 |
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| 61 | + | or special election. 3 |
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| 62 | + | This act would take effect upon passage. 4 |
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