2024 -- S 2097

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LC004060

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- PRIMARIES FOR ELECTION OF DELEGATES TO

NATIONAL CONVENTIONS AND FOR PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE

     

     Introduced By: Senators Ciccone, Burke, Felag, Britto, and F. Lombardi

     Date Introduced: January 12, 2024

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 17-12.1-6 and 17-12.1-7 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-12.1

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entitled "Primaries for Election of Delegates to National Conventions and for Presidential

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Preference" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     17-12.1-6. Number of signers required.

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     The nomination papers of a candidate for delegate to a national convention shall be signed,

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in the aggregate, by at least one hundred fifty (150) fifty (50) eligible voters.

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     17-12.1-7. Checking and certification of nomination papers.

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     (a) Each nomination paper of a candidate for delegate shall be submitted on or before four

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o’clock (4:00) p.m. in the afternoon of the fifty-sixth (56th) fifty-fourth day before the presidential

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preference primary to the local board of the city or town where the signers appear to be voters, and

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the nomination papers shall be checked, processed, and certified to the secretary of state by the

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local boards before four o’clock (4:00) p.m. in the afternoon of the fifty-third (53rd) fiftieth day

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before the presidential preference primary. In addition, each candidate for delegate to a national

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convention may, on or before four o’clock (4:00) p.m. in the afternoon of the forty-ninth (49th) day

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before the presidential primary, submit to the secretary of state documentation from a candidate, as

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set forth in § 17-12.1-4, that he or she has the approval of the candidate for presidential nominee

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or approval from the steering/screening committee to name the candidates’ delegates to be

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identified with him or her. Names of delegates pledged to a presidential candidate who do not

 

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receive approval of the candidate for presidential nominee or approval from the steering/screening

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committee to name the candidates’ delegates to be identified with him/her, who are otherwise

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qualified, shall appear on the ballot in accordance with party rules.

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     (b) When nomination papers have been duly certified by the appropriate local boards of

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canvassers, they shall be conclusively presumed to be valid, unless written objections to them are

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made as to the eligibility of the candidate or the sufficiency of the nomination papers or the

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signatures on them. All objections shall be filed with the state board of elections by four o’clock

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(4:00) p.m. on the next business day after the last day fixed for local boards to file nomination

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papers with the secretary of state. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the secretary

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of state from disqualifying a candidate based on the determination of the secretary of state that the

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nomination papers or the signatures on them are invalid or insufficient.

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     (c) The decision of the state board shall be rendered not later than four o’clock (4:00) p.m.

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on the forty-seventh (47th) day before the presidential preference primary and shall immediately

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be certified by the state board to the secretary of state.

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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 -- PRIMARIES FOR ELECTION OF DELEGATES TO

NATIONAL CONVENTIONS AND FOR PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE

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     This act would reduce the number of signatures needed on nomination papers for a

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candidate to be a delegate to a national presidential convention to 50 voters. This act would also

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amend and reduce the number of days before an election for which nomination papers must be

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submitted before a presidential preference primary to 54 days, and would reduce the number of

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days by which the local board of canvassers would need to certify the signatures to the secretary of

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state to 50 days before the presidential preference primary.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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