Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5137 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2025 -- H 5137
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- GENERAL PROVISIONS
16	16	Introduced By: Representatives J. Brien, Chippendale, Corvese, Noret, Read, Azzinaro,
17	17	Hopkins, Costantino, and Baginski
18	18	Date Introduced: January 22, 2025
19	19	Referred To: House State Government & Elections
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22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Section 17-1-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-1 entitled "General 1
24	24	Provisions" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
25	25	17-1-3. Eligibility to vote. 3
26	26	(a) Every citizen of the United States who is at least eighteen (18) years of age, whose 4
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
28	28	or city and voting district in which that person desires to cast his or her vote at least thirty (30) days 6
29	29	next preceding the election, and who is registered in that city or town and voting district at least 7
30	30	thirty (30) days next preceding any election, shall be entitled to vote in the election; provided, a 8
31	31	person may vote in a primary election only if that person is eligible under the provisions of this 9
32	32	title. A person who has not registered to vote, or whose registration has been canceled pursuant to 10
33	33	§ 17-10-1, may cast a vote for president and vice-president on election day at the person’s city or 11
34	34	town hall or at an alternate location designated by the board of canvassers, and approved by the 12
35	35	board of elections, where such location is deemed necessary to better accommodate such voters. 13
36	36	The casting of that vote shall commence the process of voter registration and subject the person 14
37	37	voting to the requirements and penalties of this chapter. 15
38	38	(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, any person who has 16
39	39	not yet reached age eighteen (18), but will be age eighteen (18) at the time of a general election, 17
40	40	may vote in a primary election, in which candidates are nominated for a general or special election. 18
41	41	(c) The provisions of subsection (b) shall not extend to any other elections. 19
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45	45	(d) It shall be unlawful for any individual who is not a citizen of the United States to vote 1
46	46	in any and all public elections on any and all matters. This includes, but is not limited to, any 2
47	47	primary election, general election, election for federal office, election for state office, election for 3
48	48	local office, and any public election that includes voting on constitutional amendments, ballot 4
49	49	initiatives, or referenda. 5
50	50	(e) Only a citizen of the United States shall be registered to vote in this state pursuant to 6
51	51	the provisions of subsection (a) of this section. The state board of elections shall verify the 7
52	52	citizenship status of all persons on the voter registration list of this state, by comparing the current 8
53	53	voter registrations with the citizenship data available from the state's department of motor vehicles 9
54	54	and the Help America Vote Verification (HAVV) information system maintained by the Social 10
55	55	Security Administration. The board of elections shall also make use of other available databases 11
56	56	containing citizenship status in order to ensure that only United States citizens are registered to 12
57	57	vote in the state. 13
58	58	(f) Any registrant in the state's voter registration list whose status as a United States citizen 14
59	59	cannot be confirmed from a comparison with one or more state, multistate, or federal databases 15
60	60	shall be removed from the list of eligible voters. The individual shall be notified in writing of the 16
61	61	inability of the board of elections to confirm the individual's citizenship status and shall be provided 17
62	62	the opportunity to present evidence or documentary proof of citizenship to be restored to the eligible 18
63	63	voter list. 19
64	64	(g) Before any voter registration application is accepted and added to a city, town or 20
65	65	statewide voter registration list, the applicant's citizenship status shall be confirmed through one or 21
66	66	more of the databases described in subsection (e) of this section. 22
67	67	(h) Any willful infraction of this law shall constitute the crime of fraudulent voting in 23
68	68	violation of § 17-23-4. 24
69	69	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 25
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76	76	EXPLANATION
77	77	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
78	78	OF
79	79	A N A C T
80	80	RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- GENERAL PROVISIONS
81	81	***
82	82	This act would provide that the state board of elections shall verify the citizenship status 1
83	83	of all persons on the voter registration list. 2
84	84	This act would take effect upon passage. 3
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