2015 -- H 5931

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LC001993

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS - REGISTRATION OF VOTERS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Coughlin, Solomon, Kazarian, Johnston, and Melo

     Date Introduced: March 19, 2015

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     (Board of Elections)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 17-9.1-26 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-9.1 entitled

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"Registration of Voters" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     17-9.1-26. Confirmation process -- Verification of the address of registered voter. --

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(a) (1) Whenever: (i) an acknowledgement card, which was mailed to a voter whose application

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to register to vote has been accepted, is returned as undeliverable; (ii) through the periodic

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updating of voter registration records as provided in § 17-9.1-27, a change of address is detected

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for any voter; (iii) as the result of a challenge under § 17-9.1-28, the challenged voter fails to

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appear before the local board; or (iv) a mailing by the jury commissioner to a voter is returned as

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undeliverable; the local board shall begin the confirmation process described in subsection (b) of

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this section.

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     (2) Whenever any other official mailing from either the state board or a local board or

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from the office of the secretary of state, which official mailing has been sent to at least a majority

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of the registered voters in a particular city or town, is returned as undeliverable to any one or

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more of the voters to whom it was mailed, the local board may commence the confirmation

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process described in subsection (b) of this section.

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     (b) The confirmation notice shall be sent by first-class forwardable mail and shall be of

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any size or other specifications that shall be determined by the state board. The notice shall

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include a voter registration form that may be used by the voter to verify or correct the voter's

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residence address for voting purposes.

 

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     (c) The confirmation notice shall be prepared in substantially the following form and

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shall contain substantially the following information, subject to any additional information as

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may be required by the state board; provided, that the wording of the form may be revised and

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updated from time to time by the state board in a manner to make its content as easily readable

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and understandable as possible:

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     The board of canvassers has received information that you may no longer reside at the

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address from which you are currently registered. If you have not permanently changed your

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residence address or if you have permanently changed your residence address but continue to live

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in the same city or town you should immediately return the voter registration form no later than

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fourteen (14) days after the date of this mailing even if this notice was mailed to your correct

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current address. If the voter registration form is not returned, affirmation or confirmation of your

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current address may be required at the polls on election day. If the registration form is not

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returned and you do not vote by __________ which is the date of the second general election

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following the date of this mailing, then your name may be removed from the voter registration

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list. If you have permanently changed residence address to another city or town in Rhode Island,

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please complete, and return the completed voter registration form to the local board of canvassers

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in the city or town of your current address.

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      (d) The confirmation notice shall be mailed to both the voter's current registered address

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and any new residence address, to the extent both addresses are available to the local board.

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     (e) If a confirmation notice is mailed to a voter and returned as undeliverable, or if

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delivered and the voter has not responded within fourteen (14) days from the date of the mailing,

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the voter shall remain on or be placed on the inactive list and shall not be permitted to vote until

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the voter has signed an affirmation form at either the approved polling place or at the local board

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of canvassers as provided in this chapter. Any application for a mail ballot under § 17-20-2.1 or

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an emergency mail ballot under § 17-20-2.2 shall serve as a proper affirmation form under this

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section, if the address is the same as the voter's current address on record with the board of

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canvassers. If the voter fails to vote by the second general election following the date of the

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confirmation mailing, then the voter shall be removed from the voting list. Notwithstanding the

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foregoing provisions, if the confirmation mailing was based upon the change of address

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information provided by or through the United States Postal Service National Change of Address

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Program, and the voter has failed to respond to the confirmation mailing, the voter shall remain

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on the active list of voters and shall not be required to sign the affirmation form. In these cases,

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the voter's residence address for voting purposes will be changed by the local board to the new

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address as indicated by the National Change of Address Program.

 

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     (f) Local boards shall be required to maintain for a period of at least two (2) years a

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record of all outgoing confirmation mailings, including the reasons for the mailing of the

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confirmations. Records shall be kept in a fashion that may be determined by the state board.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS - REGISTRATION OF VOTERS

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     This act would change the mail ballot application allowing the application to serve as an

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affirmation form for inactive voters who request a mail ballot from the address from which the

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voter is currently registered.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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