Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5519 Compare Versions

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

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5	5	2025 -- H 5519
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7	7	LC000476
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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 -- AGREEMENT AMONG THE STATES TO ELECT THE
16	16	PRESIDENT BY NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE
17	17	Introduced By: Representatives Newberry, Edwards, Chippendale, Azzinaro, Roberts,
18	18	Paplauskas, Fascia, Corvese, J. Brien, and Casey
19	19	Date Introduced: February 13, 2025
20	20	Referred To: House State Government & Elections
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23	23	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
24	24	SECTION 1. Chapter 17-4.2 of the General Laws entitled "Agreement Among the States 1
25	25	to Elect the President by National Popular Vote" is hereby repealed in its entirety. 2
26	26	CHAPTER 17-4.2 3
27	27	Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote 4
28	28	17-4.2-1. Compact enacted. 5
29	29	The interstate compact entitled the “Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by 6
30	30	National Popular Vote” is hereby enacted into law and entered into with all other jurisdictions 7
31	31	legally joining therein in the form substantially as follows: 8
32	32	ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP. 9
33	33	Any state of the United States and the District of Columbia may become a member of this 10
34	34	agreement by enacting this agreement. 11
35	35	ARTICLE II. RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE IN MEMBER ST ATES TO VOTE FOR 12
36	36	PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT. 13
37	37	Each member state shall conduct a statewide popular election for president and vice 14
38	38	president of the United States. 15
39	39	ARTICLE III. MANNER OF APPOINTING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS IN 16
40	40	MEMBER STATES. 17
41	41	Prior to the time set by law for the meeting and voting by the presidential electors, the chief 18
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44	44	LC000476 - Page 2 of 5
45	45	election official of each member state shall determine the number of votes for each presidential 1
46	46	slate in each state of the United States and in the District of Columbia in which votes have been 2
47	47	cast in a statewide popular election and shall add such votes together to produce a “national popular 3
48	48	vote total” for each presidential slate. 4
49	49	The chief election official of each member state shall designate the presidential slate with 5
50	50	the largest national popular vote total as the “national popular vote winner.” 6
51	51	The presidential elector certifying official of each member state shall certify the 7
52	52	appointment in that official’s own state of the elector slate nominated in that state in association 8
53	53	with the national popular vote winner. 9
54	54	At least six (6) days before the day fixed by law for the meeting and voting by the 10
55	55	presidential electors, each member state shall make a final determination of the number of popular 11
56	56	votes cast in the state for each presidential slate and shall communicate an official statement of 12
57	57	such determination within twenty-four (24) hours to the chief election official of each other member 13
58	58	state. 14
59	59	The chief election official of each member state shall treat as conclusive an official 15
60	60	statement containing the number of popular votes in a state for each presidential slate made by the 16
61	61	day established by federal law for making a state’s final determination conclusive as to the counting 17
62	62	of electoral votes by Congress. 18
63	63	In event of a tie for the national popular vote winner, the presidential elector certifying 19
64	64	official of each member state shall certify the appointment of the elector slate nominated in 20
65	65	association with the presidential slate receiving the largest number of popular votes within that 21
66	66	official’s own state. 22
67	67	If, for any reason, the number of presidential electors nominated in a member state in 23
68	68	association with the national popular vote winner is less than or greater than that state’s number of 24
69	69	electoral votes, the presidential candidate on the presidential slate that has been designated as the 25
70	70	national popular vote winner shall have the power to nominate the presidential electors for that 26
71	71	state and that state’s presidential elector certifying official shall certify the appointment of such 27
72	72	nominees. 28
73	73	The chief election official of each member state shall immediately release to the public all 29
74	74	vote counts or statements of votes as they are determined or obtained. 30
75	75	This article shall govern the appointment of presidential electors in each member state in 31
76	76	any year in which this agreement is, on July 20, in effect in states cumulatively possessing a 32
77	77	majority of the electoral votes. 33
78	78	ARTICLE IV. OTHER PROVISIONS. 34
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82	82	This agreement shall take effect when states cumulatively possessing a majority of the 1
83	83	electoral votes have enacted this agreement in substantially the same form and the enactments by 2
84	84	such states have taken effect in each state. 3
85	85	Any member state may withdraw from this agreement, except that a withdrawal occurring 4
86	86	six (6) months or less before the end of a president’s term shall not become effective until a 5
87	87	president or vice president shall have been qualified to serve the next term. 6
88	88	The chief executive of each member state shall promptly notify the chief executive of all 7
89	89	other states of when this agreement has been enacted and has taken effect in that official’s state, 8
90	90	when the state has withdrawn from this agreement, and when this agreement takes effect generally. 9
91	91	This agreement shall terminate if the electoral college is abolished. 10
92	92	If any provision of this agreement is held invalid, the remaining provisions shall not be 11
93	93	affected. 12
94	94	ARTICLE V. DEFINITIONS. 13
95	95	For purposes of this agreement: 14
96	96	(1) “Chief executive” shall mean the governor of a state of the United States or the mayor 15
97	97	of the District of Columbia; 16
98	98	(2) “Elector slate” shall mean a slate of candidates who have been nominated in a state for 17
99	99	the position of presidential elector in association with a presidential slate; 18
100	100	(3) “Chief election official” shall mean the state official or body that is authorized to certify 19
101	101	the total number of popular votes for each presidential slate; 20
102	102	(4) “Presidential elector” shall mean an elector for president and vice president of the 21
103	103	United States; 22
104	104	(5) “Presidential elector certifying official” shall mean the state official or body that is 23
105	105	authorized to certify the appointment of the state’s presidential electors; 24
106	106	(6) “Presidential slate” shall mean a slate of two (2) persons, the first of whom has been 25
107	107	nominated as a candidate for president of the United States and the second of whom has been 26
108	108	nominated as a candidate for vice president of the United States, or any legal successors to such 27
109	109	persons, regardless of whether both names appear on the ballot presented to the voter in a particular 28
110	110	state; 29
111	111	(7) “State” shall mean a state of the United States and the District of Columbia; and 30
112	112	(8) “Statewide popular election” shall mean a general election in which votes are cast for 31
113	113	presidential slates by individual voters and counted on a statewide basis. 32
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117	117	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 1
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124	124	EXPLANATION
125	125	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
126	126	OF
127	127	A N A C T
128	128	RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- AGREEMENT AMONG THE STATES TO ELECT THE
129	129	PRESIDENT BY NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE
130	130	***
131	131	This act would repeal authorizing Rhode Island to join an interstate compact, which would 1
132	132	allow Presidents and Vice Presidents to be elected by a national popular vote rather than the 2
133	133	electoral college. 3
134	134	This act would take effect upon passage. 4
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136	136	LC000476
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