2025 -- H 5710

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LC000655

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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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: Representatives Perez, Hull, Slater, Shallcross Smith, Fellela, and Diaz

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2025

     Referred To: House State Government & Elections

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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

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

Preference" are hereby amended to read as follows:

     17-12.1-6. Number of signers required.

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

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

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

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

o’clock (4:00) p.m. in the afternoon of the fifty-sixth (56th) fifty-fourth (54th) day before the

presidential preference primary to the local board of the city or town where the signers appear to

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

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

fiftieth (50th) day before the presidential preference primary. In addition, each candidate for

delegate to a national convention may, on or before four o’clock (4:00) p.m. in the afternoon of the

forty-ninth (49th) day before the presidential primary, submit to the secretary of state

documentation from a candidate, as set forth in § 17-12.1-4, that he or she has the approval of the

candidate for presidential nominee or approval from the steering/screening committee to name the

candidates’ delegates to be identified with him or her. Names of delegates pledged to a presidential

candidate who do not receive approval of the candidate for presidential nominee or approval from

the steering/screening committee to name the candidates’ delegates to be identified with him/her,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     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

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

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

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

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

state to 50 days before the presidential preference primary.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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