2024 -- S 2208

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LC004200

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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 -- VOTING DISTRICTS AND OFFICIALS

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

     Date Introduced: January 24, 2024

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 17-11-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-11 entitled "Voting

Districts and Officials" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     17-11-1. Division of towns and representative district into voting districts.

     (a) The local board of any city or town may, on or before the sixtieth (60th) day preceding

any election, divide or redivide the city or town, or any representative district in the city or town,

into voting districts. The local board of each city or town shall determine voting districts by

geographical boundaries and by no other means. No voting district shall at any time comprise parts

of two (2) or more wards. It shall be the duty of the board to divide the city or town, representative

district, or ward so that substantially not more than three thousand (3,000) total active, eligible

registered voters shall be served by the same polling place; provided, however, that any divisions

conducted by the local board pursuant to this section shall not result in creating a polling place

serving less than five hundred (500) total eligible registered voters, except when a polling place is

located in a low-income or elderly residential development, or when it is caused by legislative

district boundaries; and provided, further, that no existing polling place that is presently located in

a low-income or elderly residential development shall be eliminated. Upon the establishment and

approval of any polling place by the state board, changes to the polling place shall not be allowed

until the next redistricting by the general assembly, unless the polling place becomes unavailable

to the city or town or no longer meets polling place minimum requirements as established by the

state board, then the city or town may take the appropriate action to replace the polling place. A

polling place may be located either within or without the voting district for which it is established;

provided, that a polling place may be located outside the district only upon unanimous

determination of the local board and subject to the approval of the state board that a suitable place

is not available within the voting district.

     (b) Uniform standards for polling place location. When cities and towns shall, subject

to the approval of the state board, designate polling locations in accordance with the provisions of

this section and § 17-19-3.2, they shall take into account the following factors:

     (1) Accessibility of the polling place to historically disenfranchised communities,

including cultural groups, ethnic groups, and minority groups;

     (2) Proximity of polling places to dense concentrations of voters;

     (3) Accessibility of polling places by public transportation;

     (4) Ensuring equitable distribution of polling places in the city or town; and

     (5) Maximizing voter participation, including through the use of community centers and

public gathering places as polling places.

     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 -- VOTING DISTRICTS AND OFFICIALS

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     This act would clarify that the calculation for the total number of eligible voters to be served

by the same polling place shall be established using active voters.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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