Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0820 Compare Versions

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

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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	J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
15	15	TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF
16	16	AMENDMENT TO THE CON STITUTION -- OF SUFFRAGE
17	17	Introduced By: Senators DiMario, Burke, Acosta, Pearson, McKenney, DiPalma, Euer,
18	18	Mack, Lawson, and LaMountain
19	19	Date Introduced: March 14, 2025
20	20	Referred To: Senate Judiciary
21	21	(Secretary of State)
22	22
23	23	RESOLVED, That a majority of all members elected to each house of the general 1
24	24	assembly voting therefor, the following amendment to the Constitution of the state be proposed to 2
25	25	the qualified electors of the state in accordance with the provisions of Article XIV of the 3
26	26	Constitution, for their approval, and that it take the place of Article II, Sections 1 and 2, which are 4
27	27	hereby amended, effective January 1, 2026, to read as follows: 5
28	28	ARTICLE II 6
29	29	OF SUFFRAGE 7
30	30	SECTION 1. Persons entitled to vote. 8
31	31	Every citizen of the United States of the age of eighteen years or over who has had 9
32	32	residence and home in is a resident of this state for thirty days next preceding the time of voting, 10
33	33	who has resided thirty days and resides in the town or city from which such citizen desires to 11
34	34	vote, and whose name shall be registered at least thirty days next preceding the time of voting as 12
35	35	provided by law, shall have the right to vote for all offices to be elected and on all questions 13
36	36	submitted to the electors, except that no person who has been lawfully adjudicated to be non 14
37	37	compos mentis shall be permitted to vote. No person who is incarcerated in a correctional facility 15
38	38	upon a felony conviction shall be permitted to vote until such person is discharged from the 16
39	39	facility. Upon discharge, such person’s right to vote shall be restored. The general assembly may 17
40	40	provide by law for shorter state and local residence and registration requirements to vote for all 18
41	41	offices to be elected and on all questions submitted to the electors for president and vice president 19
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45	45	of the United States. 1
46	46	Section 2. Nomination of candidates -- Voter registration -- Absentee voting -- Conduct 2
47	47	of elections -- Residency. 3
48	48	The general assembly shall provide by law for the nomination of candidates, but no 4
49	49	person shall be eligible to file a declaration of candidacy who has not been a qualified elector in 5
50	50	Rhode Island for at least thirty (30) days; for a uniform system of permanent registration of 6
51	51	voters; for the exemption from such registration of persons in the active service of the nation and 7
52	52	their families absent from the state because of such service, and, in time of war, members of the 8
53	53	Merchant Marine; for absentee and shut in voting; for the time, manner and place of conducting 9
54	54	elections; for the prevention of abuse, corruption and fraud in voting; and may define by law 10
55	55	residence for voting purposes, but no person shall acquire such residence merely by being 11
56	56	stationed or assigned in this state in the active service of the United States. 12
57	57	RESOLVED, That this amendment shall take, in the Constitution of the State, the place 13
58	58	of Section 1 and Section 2 of Article II of the Constitution; 14
59	59	It is further 15
60	60	RESOLVED, That said proposition of amendment shall be submitted to the electors for 16
61	61	their approval or rejection at the next statewide general election. The voting places in the several 17
62	62	cities and towns shall be kept open during the hours required by law for voting therein for general 18
63	63	officers of the state; and be it further 19
64	64	RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause the said proposition of amendments 20
65	65	to be published as a part of this resolution in the newspapers of the state prior to the date of the 21
66	66	said meetings of the said electors; and the said proposition shall be inserted in the warrants or 22
67	67	notices to be issued previous to said meetings of the electors for the purpose of warning the town, 23
68	68	ward, or district meetings, and said proposition shall be read by the town, ward, or district 24
69	69	meetings to be held as aforesaid; and be it further 25
70	70	RESOLVED, That the town, ward, and district meetings to be held aforesaid shall be 26
71	71	warned, and the list of voters shall be canvassed and made up, and the said town, ward, and 27
72	72	district meetings shall be conducted in the same manner as now provided by law for the town, 28
73	73	ward, and district meetings for the election of general officers of the state. 29
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80	80	EXPLANATION
81	81	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
82	82	OF
83	83	J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
84	84	TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF
85	85	AMENDMENT TO THE CON STITUTION -- OF SUFFRAGE
86	86	***
87	87	This Joint Resolution would propose to the voters of the state a constitutional amendment 1
88	88	which would remove the thirty (30) day state and local residency requirements, and require that a 2
89	89	voter be registered by, or on election day. It would also provide that no person would be eligible 3
90	90	to file a declaration of candidacy who has not been a qualified elector in Rhode Island for at least 4
91	91	thirty days. 5
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