Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5518 Compare Versions

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

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5	5	2025 -- H 5518
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7	7	LC001145
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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 -- LOCAL CANVASSING AUTHORITIES
16	16	Introduced By: Representatives Baginski, and Paplauskas
17	17	Date Introduced: February 13, 2025
18	18	Referred To: House State Government & Elections
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21	21	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
22	22	SECTION 1. Section 17-8-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-8 entitled "Local 1
23	23	Canvassing Authorities" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
24	24	17-8-10. Publication of local questions to be submitted to voters. 3
25	25	(a) Prior to each local election at which public questions are to be submitted, the local board 4
26	26	shall cause to be prominently posted in at least three (3) local public locations and advertised at 5
27	27	least once in a newspaper of local circulation, or in lieu of the requirement to place the 6
28	28	advertisement in a newspaper of local circulation, the City of Pawtucket may mail to the household 7
29	29	of each registered voter prior to the election the full text of each legislative act to be acted upon and 8
30	30	the election date, or the local board may substitute a description of the text of each act in lieu of the 9
31	31	full text, together with the following information: 10
32	32	(1) The designated number of the question; 11
33	33	(2) A brief caption of the question; 12
34	34	(3) A brief explanation of the measure that is the subject matter of the question; and 13
35	35	(4) A notice that voter fraud is a felony and the penalty for voter fraud. This notice shall be 14
36	36	in conspicuous lettering and shall contain the following language: “You must be registered to vote 15
37	37	from your actual place of residence.” 16
38	38	(b) If the public question involves the issuance of bonds or other evidence of indebtedness 17
39	39	or any other long-term financial obligation such as a lease, the notice required by subsection (a) of 18
40	40	this section shall also include at least the following information to be provided: 19
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44	44	(1) The estimated total cost of the project or program, including financing (using a 1
45	45	reasonable assumed rate of interest), legal, and other costs. 2
46	46	(2) The estimated useful life of the project, and the term of the bonds, other indebtedness, 3
47	47	or other obligation. 4
48	48	(3) A reasonably detailed description of the project or program, its purposes, and a project 5
49	49	timetable. 6
50	50	(c) The local board may substitute the advertising requirements as listed in subsection (a) 7
51	51	of this section, by posting in its place, a conspicuous and prominent notice containing all of the 8
52	52	same information on the municipality's website for at least twenty-one (21) consecutive days 9
53	53	leading up to and including the date of the election, where the local question(s) are certified to 10
54	54	appear on the ballot, in addition to prominently posting the same in at least three (3) public 11
55	55	locations. 12
56	56	SECTION 2. Chapter 17-8 of the General Laws entitled "Local Canvassing Authorities" is 13
57	57	hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 14
58	58	17-8-11. Publication of early voting dates, hours, and location. 15
59	59	(a) The local board shall advertise the dates, hours, and location of early voting, in a 16
60	60	newspaper of general circulation in the city or town at least once prior to the commencement of 17
61	61	any in-person early voting period to be conducted by the local board, and at least one while that 18
62	62	same early voting period is underway. 19
63	63	(b) The local board shall publish a conspicuous and prominent notice on the municipality's 20
64	64	website of the dates, hours, and location of early voting, and said notice shall remain published 21
65	65	throughout the duration of any in-person early voting period conducted by the local board. Said 22
66	66	notice shall reasonably comply with web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 compliance 23
67	67	level AA. 24
68	68	SECTION 3. Section 17-9.1-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-9.1 entitled "Registration 25
69	69	of Voters" is hereby amended to read as follows: 26
70	70	17-9.1-3. Periods when boards receive registrations. 27
71	71	(a) The local boards shall open their respective offices for the purposes of receiving 28
72	72	registration of voters throughout the year during the regular business hours. Registration for any 29
73	73	election shall close on the thirtieth (30th) day preceding an election; provided, that local boards 30
74	74	shall not receive the registration on Sundays or legal holidays, and may receive the registrations 31
75	75	during additional hours each day from the fortieth (40th) to the thirtieth (30th) day before any 32
76	76	election. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as restricting the right of statewide or 33
77	77	local registration agents or members of the general assembly to accept registrations of voters on 34
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81	81	any day. The acceptance of registrations at any other time shall not affect the validity of any 1
82	82	election. 2
83	83	(b) Notwithstanding any other sections of the general laws to the contrary, all local boards 3
84	84	of canvassers shall remain open from eight-thirty (8:30) a.m. until four o’clock (4:00) p.m. on the 4
85	85	last day prescribed by law for the taking of voter registrations to permit participation of the voters 5
86	86	in the next succeeding election. In the event that the last day prescribed by law for the taking of 6
87	87	voter registrations is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, then the local board may; 7
88	88	(1) Designate one publicly accessible location in the city or town at which voter 8
89	89	registrations will be taken; and 9
90	90	(2) Designate the hours during which voter registration will be taken at that location, which 10
91	91	hours shall include the hours from one o’clock (1:00) p.m. until four o’clock (4:00) p.m. 11
92	92	(c) If a local board does designate a location other than its regular place of business or does 12
93	93	designate hours other than eight-thirty o’clock (8:30) a.m. until four o’clock (4:00) p.m., it shall: 13
94	94	(1) Publicly announce those designation(s) at least ten (10) days prior to the last day 14
95	95	provided by law for the taking of voter registrations; and 15
96	96	(2) Advertise those designation(s) in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or town 16
97	97	at least twice prior to the last day prescribed by law for the taking of voter registrations. The local 17
98	98	board may substitute advertising in a newspaper, by posting a conspicuous and prominent notice 18
99	99	of those designation(s) on the municipality's website, for at least ten (10) consecutive days leading 19
100	100	up to the last day prescribed by law for the taking of voter registrations. Said notice shall reasonably 20
101	101	comply with web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 compliance level AA. 21
102	102	SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage. 22
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110	110	EXPLANATION
111	111	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
112	112	OF
113	113	A N A C T
114	114	RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- LOCAL CANVASSING AUTHORITIES
115	115	***
116	116	This act would require the local board of canvassers to publish early voting dates, hours, 1
117	117	and location, at least twice in a newspaper of general circulation within the city or town, and to 2
118	118	publish the same on the municipality's website for the duration of the in-person early voting period. 3
119	119	It would also permit the substitution of advertising the voter registration deadline in a newspaper 4
120	120	by continuously posting notice of designation(s) on the municipality's website for a designated 5
121	121	period of consecutive days leading up to the last day prescribed by law for the taking of voter 6
122	122	registrations. 7
123	123	This act would take effect upon passage. 8
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