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| 5 | 5 | | 2025 -- H 5383 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC000828 |
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| 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. 2025 |
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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 --PRIMARY ELECTION DATES |
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| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Representatives Place, Paplauskas, and Roberts |
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| 17 | 17 | | Date Introduced: February 07, 2025 |
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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 17-15-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-15 entitled "Primary 1 |
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| 23 | 23 | | Elections" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2 |
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| 24 | 24 | | 17-15-1. Date of primaries. 3 |
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| 25 | 25 | | A primary election for the nomination of candidates for each political party shall be held 4 |
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| 26 | 26 | | in each voting district in the manner provided in this chapter on the eighth Tuesday preceding 5 |
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| 27 | 27 | | biennial state elections. Provided, however, that if the eighth Tuesday is the day after Labor Day, 6 |
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| 28 | 28 | | then the primary election shall be held on the very next day, the Wednesday. 7 |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 2. Section 17-9.1-4.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-9.1 entitled 8 |
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| 30 | 30 | | "Registration of Voters" is hereby amended to read as follows: 9 |
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| 31 | 31 | | 17-9.1-4.1. Registration drives at high schools. 10 |
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| 32 | 32 | | It shall may be the duty of local boards to annually conduct a voter registration drive at 11 |
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| 33 | 33 | | each high school within the city or town in cooperation with the administration of the schools. Each 12 |
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| 34 | 34 | | principal of every public or private high school and director of each vocational school in this state 13 |
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| 35 | 35 | | may be a registration agent whose authority shall be limited to receiving and accepting registrations 14 |
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| 36 | 36 | | as electors from those qualified applicants who are enrolled as students within the school or are 15 |
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| 37 | 37 | | employed within the school. The principal or director may designate one or more persons in the 16 |
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| 38 | 38 | | school to serve as registration agents with the same authority as the principal of the school, provided 17 |
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| 39 | 39 | | each designation is filed with the local board for the city or town in which the school is located. 18 |
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| 40 | 40 | | Each person who is a registration agent pursuant to this section shall be sworn to the faithful 19 |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | LC000828 - Page 2 of 3 |
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| 44 | 44 | | performance of his or her duties and shall be subject to removal as a registration agent by the local 1 |
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| 45 | 45 | | board for cause shown. All registration made under this section shall be made in accordance with 2 |
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| 46 | 46 | | rules and regulations established by the local board of the city or town in which the school is 3 |
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| 47 | 47 | | located. 4 |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 5 |
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| 49 | 49 | | ======== |
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| 50 | 50 | | LC000828 |
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| 51 | 51 | | ======== |
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| 52 | 52 | | |
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| 53 | 53 | | |
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| 54 | 54 | | LC000828 - Page 3 of 3 |
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| 55 | 55 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 56 | 56 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 57 | 57 | | OF |
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| 58 | 58 | | A N A C T |
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| 59 | 59 | | RELATING TO ELECTIONS --PRIMARY ELECTION DATES |
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| 60 | 60 | | *** |
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| 61 | 61 | | This act would require that the primary election date, typically the eighth Tuesday 1 |
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| 62 | 62 | | preceding the biennial state elections, shall be held on the Wednesday following Labor Day, only 2 |
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| 63 | 63 | | if the eighth Tuesday immediately follows Labor Day. Additionally, this act would no longer 3 |
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| 64 | 64 | | mandate, but rather allow local boards to annually conduct a voter registration drive at each high 4 |
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| 65 | 65 | | school within the city or town. 5 |
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| 66 | 66 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 6 |
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| 67 | 67 | | ======== |
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| 68 | 68 | | LC000828 |
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| 69 | 69 | | ======== |
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