Chapter 187
2006 -- H 7530
SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 06/29/06
A N A C T
RELATING
TO ELECTIONS - VOTING
Introduced By:
Representatives Lewiss, Kennedy, Jackson, Crowley, and McNamara
Date
Introduced: February 16, 2006
It is enacted by
the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1.
Sections 17-11-1.1 and 17-11-7.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-11
entitled "Voting Districts and
Officials" are hereby amended to read as follows:
17-11-1.1.
Combination of voting districts for special election. -- (a) The
board of
canvassers of any city or town, for any special
election to be held in that city or town at which
there will be submitted to the voters a question
or questions for their approval or rejection but at
which no state or local officials will be
elected, shall have the power to combine two (2) or more
voting districts within the same ward or
senatorial and representative district, when in its
judgment the combination is advisable, and when
these districts are combined they shall be
treated as a voting district. Notwithstanding
the preceding provisions, for any special election at
which there is on the ballot for all offices to
be filled at the election only one candidate for each
office, the board of canvassers of the city or
town shall have the authority to combine likewise
two (2) or more voting districts, but only upon
the approval of the board of elections. The board
of canvassers of any city or town at which there
shall be submitted to the voters a question or
questions for their approval or rejection but at
which no state or local officials will be elected,
shall have the authority to combine two (2) or
more voting districts, when in its judgment the
combination is advisable, and when combined
shall be treated as a voting district, but only upon
the approval of the board of elections.
(b) If voting
districts are combined as provided in subsection (a) of this section, the local
board must advertise the combination of
districts in a newspaper of general circulation in the city
or town no less than seven (7) days and no more
than twenty-one (21) days before the special
election.
(c) The board
of canvassers of the town of Coventry shall have the power to combine
two (2) or more voting districts within the same
ward or senatorial and representative districts,
notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section,
for a special election to be held on April 22, 2003.
17-11-7.1.
Pool of election officials. -- Notwithstanding any other general law to
the
contrary, local boards are authorized to create
a pool of election officials who shall be available to
fill vacancies wherever needed. These election
officials shall have the same training and duties as
regular election officials, but shall not be
restricted to being electors of the voting district to
which they may be assigned, but must be electors
of the city or town state.
SECTION 2. Section
17-15-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-15 entitled "Primary
Elections" is hereby amended to read as
follows:
17-15-5.
Combination of voting districts. -- Local boards shall have the power
to
combine two (2) or more voting districts within
the same ward, and senatorial or representative
district, when the absence of local
contests within the combined voting districts makes this
combination possible, and the combined district
shall be treated as a voting district.
SECTION 3. Section
17-18-15 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-18 entitled "Elective
Meetings" is hereby amended to read as
follows:
17-18-15.
Closing of schools. -- At each general election as defined in section
17-1-2(2)
and statewide primary as defined in section
17-15-1,
all public elementary and secondary schools
throughout the state shall not be in session. On
the day of the general election and statewide
primary, the use of school buildings or premises shall
be restricted to use only as polling places
for election purposes. Notwithstanding the
previous provisions, school staff development days
may be held.
SECTION 4. This
act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC02222/SUB
A
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