House Bill #5764 (2019)

AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTION - NOMINATION - DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY - PRIMARY VOTES

Moves the date of primaries to the eighth Tuesday preceding biennial state elections.

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Changes since original draft

  • 2019 – H 5764
  • 2019 – H 5764 SUBSTITUTE A
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  • LC001544
  • LC001544/SUB A
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  • S TATE OF RHODE IS L AND
  • IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
  • JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019
  • ____________
  • A N A C T
  • RELATING TO ELECTION - NOMINATION - DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY, AND
  • PRIMARY VOTES
  • S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
  • IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
  • JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019
  • ____________
  • A N A C T
  • RELATING TO ELECTION - NOMINATION - DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY -
  • PRIMARY VOTES
  • Introduced By: Representatives Alzate, Casimiro, Kazarian, Mendez, and Cassar
  • Date Introduced: February 27, 2019
  • Referred To: House Judiciary
  • (Secretary of State)
  • It is enacted by the GeneralAssembly as follows:
  • SECTION 1. Section 17-14-1, 17-14-11 and 17-14-12 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-14 entitled "Nomination of Party and Independent Candidates" are hereby amended to read as follows:
  • 17-14-1. Declarations of candidacy.
  • During the last first consecutive Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in June in the even years and during the thirty-ninth (39th) and fortieth (40th) days preceding a primary election for a special election, or for an election regularly scheduled for a time other than the biennial general statewide election, each voter desiring to be a candidate at the upcoming primary or an independent candidate on final nomination papers shall, on a form that shall be provided by the secretary of state, file a declaration of his or her candidacy not later than four (4:00) p.m. of the last day for the filing with the secretary of state for congressional and statewide general offices, or with the local board of the place of the candidate's voting residence for general assembly, or state committee or senatorial and representative district committee or with the appropriate local board for local officers. The declaration shall be signed by the candidate as his or her name appears on the voting list. The signature shall be accepted as valid if it can be reasonably identified to be the name and signature of the voter it purports to be. A variation of the voter's signature by the insertion or omission of identifying titles or by the substitution of initials for the first or middle names of both shall not in itself be grounds for invalidation of the signature. The declaration shall also include the following information:
  • (1) The candidate's name as it appears on the voting list, subject to the same provisions as relate to the voter's signature on the declaration;
  • (2) The address as it appears on the voting list, provided that an address which is substantially the same as the address on the voting list shall be valid;
  • (3) The party declaration if seeking to run in a party primary;
  • (4) The office sought;
  • (5) The place and date of birth;
  • (6) The length of residence in the state and in the town or city where he or she resides;
  • (7) A certification that he or she is neither serving a sentence, including probation or parole, for which he or she was imprisoned upon finalconviction of a felony imposed on any date nor serving any sentence, whether incarcerated or suspended, on probation or parole, upon final conviction of a felony committed after November 5, 1986;
  • (8) A certification that he or she has not been lawfully adjudicated to be non compos mentis, of unsound mind;
  • (9) In the case of candidates for party nomination, a certification that he or she has not been a member of a political party other than the declared party within ninety (90) days of the filing date; and
  • (10) If a person is a candidate for a state or localoffice, a certification that the person has not within the preceding three (3) years served any sentence, incarcerated or suspended, on probation or parole, for a crime committed after November 5, 1986, upon a plea of nolo contendere or guilty or upon a conviction of a felony or for a misdemeanor for which a sentence of imprisonment for six (6) months or more, whether suspended or to be served as imposed.
  • 17-14-11. Checking and certification of nomination papers – Challenge.
  • Each nomination paper for party and independent candidates shall be submitted before four o'clock (4:00) p.m. on the sixtieth (60th) day before the primary to the localboard of the city or town where the signers appear to be voters or, in the case of specialelections, on the twenty- eighth (28th) day before the primary. Nomination papers for independent presidential candidates and presidential candidates of political parties, other than those defined in § 17-1-2(9), shall be filed not later than sixty (60) ninety (90) days prior to the general election. Each localboard shall immediately proceed to check signatures on each nomination paper filed with it against the voting list as last canvassed or published according to law. In the case of candidates for statewide office, the local boards shall certify the number of names appearing on the nomination papers that are in conformity with the requirements of § 17-14-8, and after considering any challenge under this
  • LC001544 - Page 2of 4 section, shall immediately file all nomination papers for the officers with the secretary of state. In the case of all other candidates, the The local boards shall certify a sufficient number of names appearing on the nomination papers that are in conformity with the requirements of § 17-14-8 to qualify the candidate for a position on the ballot, and after considering any challenge under this section and, if necessary, certifying any additional valid names, shall immediately file nomination papers for statewide office, generalassembly and state and district committee candidates with the secretary of state; provided, that nomination papers for local candidates shall be retained by the local board. If any candidate or the chairperson of any party committee questions the validity or authenticity of any signature on the nomination paper, the local board shall immediately and summarily decide the question, and for this purpose, shallhave the same powers as are conferred upon the board by the provisions of § 17-14-14. If any challenged signature is found to be invalid, for any reason in law, or forged, then the signature shall not be counted.
  • 17-14-12. Filing of nomination papers.
  • All nomination papers for state offices or officers and all certified lists of candidates for local offices or officers shall be filed in the office of the secretary of state (the certified lists by the respective local boards), not later than fifty-four (54) eighty-four (84) days before the date of the primary held to nominate candidates for general election; but when there is a primary to nominate candidates for any office mentioned in § 17-15-7 to be voted upon at a specialelection, all nomination papers and lists of local candidates shall be filed in the office on or before the twenty-sixth (26th) day preceding the day of the special primary election. Nomination papers for independent presidential candidates and presidential candidates of political parties other than those defined in § 17-1-2(9) shallbe filed in the office of the secretary of state by the localboards of canvassers not later than fifty-four (54) days before the date of the election.
  • It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
  • SECTION 1. Section 17-14-11 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-14 entitled "Nomination of Party and Independent Candidates" is hereby amended to read as follows:
  • 17-14-11. Checking and certification of nomination papers – Challenge.
  • Each nomination paper for party and independent candidates shall be submitted before four o'clock (4:00) p.m. on the sixtieth (60th) day before the primary to the local board of the city or town where the signers appear to be voters or, in the case of special elections, on the twenty- eighth (28th) day before the primary. Nomination papers for independent presidential candidates and presidential candidates of political parties, other than those defined in § 17-1-2(9), shall be filed not later than sixty (60) days prior to the general election. Each local board shall immediately proceed to check signatures on each nomination paper filed with it against the voting list as last canvassed or published according to law. In the case of candidates for statewide office, the local boards shall certify the number of names appearing on the nomination papers that are in conformity with the requirements of § 17-14-8, and after considering any challenge under this section, shall immediately file all nomination papers for the officers with the secretary of state. In the case of all other candidates, the The local boards shall certify a sufficient number of names appearing on the nomination papers that are in conformity with the requirements of § 17-14-8 to qualify the candidate for a position on the ballot, and after considering any challenge under this section and, if necessary, certifying any additional valid names, shall immediately file nomination papers for statewide office, general assembly and state and district committee candidates with the secretary of state; provided, that nomination papers for local candidates shall be retained by the local board. If any candidate or the chairperson of any party committee questions the validity or authenticity of any signature on the nomination paper, the local board shall immediately and summarily decide the question, and for this purpose, shall have the same powers as are conferred upon the board by the provisions of § 17-14-14. If any challenged signature is found to be invalid, for any reason in law, or forged, then the signature shall not be counted.
  • SECTION 2. Section 17-15-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-15 entitled "Primary Elections" is hereby amended to read as follows:
  • 17-15-1. Date of primaries.
  • A primary election for the nomination of candidates for each political party shall be held in each voting district in the manner provided in this chapter on the second Tuesday after the first Monday in September third Tuesday after the first Monday in August in each even numbered year.
  • SECTION 3. This act shalltake effect on January 1, 2020.
  • A primary election for the nomination of candidates for each political party shall be held in each voting district in the manner provided in this chapter on the second Tuesday after the first Monday in September in each even numbered year eighth Tuesday preceding biennial state elections.
  • SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2020.
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  • LC001544
  • LC001544/SUB A
  • ========
  • LC001544 - Page 3of 4
  • EXPLANATION
  • BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
  • OF
  • A N A C T
  • RELATING TO ELECTION - NOMINATION - DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY, AND
  • PRIMARY VOTES
  • ***
  • This act would set an earlier deadline for the filing of declaration of candidacy and nomination papers while also moving the party primary from September to August.
  • This act would take effect on January 1, 2020. ======== LC001544 ========
  • LC001544 - Page 4of 4
  • EXPLANATION
  • BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
  • OF
  • A N A C T
  • RELATING TO ELECTION - NOMINATION - DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY -
  • PRIMARY VOTES
  • ***
  • This act would move the date of primaries to the eighth Tuesday preceding biennial state elections.
  • This act would take effect on January 1, 2020. ======== LC001544/SUB A ========

Votes

NOTE: Electronic voting records are unofficial and may not be accurate. For an official vote tally, check the House or Senate Journal from the day of the vote.

Floor vote for PASSAGE

June 20, 2019 at 4:45pm
Yeas: 73 / Nays: 0 / Not voting: 2 / Recused: 0
Legislator Vote
Rep. Abney Y
Rep. Ackerman Y
Rep. Ajello Y
Rep. Almeida Y
Rep. Alzate Y
Rep. Amore Y
Rep. Azzinaro Y
Rep. Barros Y
Rep. Bennett Y
Rep. Blazejewski Y
Rep. Caldwell Y
Rep. Canario Y
Rep. Carson Y
Rep. Casey Y
Rep. Casimiro Y
Rep. Cassar Y
Rep. Chippendale Y
Rep. Cortvriend Y
Rep. Corvese Y
Rep. Costantino Y
Rep. Craven Y
Rep. Diaz Y
Rep. Donovan Y
Rep. Edwards Y
Rep. Fellela Y
Rep. Filippi Y
Rep. Fogarty Y
Rep. Handy Y
Rep. Hawkins Y
Rep. Hull Y
Rep. Jackson Y
Rep. Jacquard Y
Rep. Johnston Y
Rep. Kazarian Y
Rep. Kennedy Y
Rep. Kislak Y
Rep. Knight Y
Rep. Lima Y
Rep. Lombardi Y
Rep. Lyle Y
Rep. Maldonado Y
Rep. Marszalkowski Y
Rep. Mattiello Y
Rep. McEntee Y
Rep. McKiernan Y
Rep. McLaughlin Y
Rep. McNamara Y
Rep. Mendez Y
Rep. Messier Y
Rep. Millea Y
Rep. Morin Y
Rep. Nardone Y
Rep. Newberry Y
Rep. Noret Y
Rep. O'Brien Y
Rep. Phillips Y
Rep. Place Y
Rep. Price Y
Rep. Quattrocchi Y
Rep. Ranglin-Vassell Y
Rep. Roberts Y
Rep. Ruggiero Y
Rep. Serodio Y
Rep. Serpa Y
Rep. Shanley Y
Rep. Shekarchi Y
Rep. Slater Y
Rep. Solomon Y
Rep. Speakman Y
Rep. Tanzi NV
Rep. Tobon Y
Rep. Ucci NV
Rep. Vella-Wilkinson Y
Rep. Walsh Y
Rep. Williams Y

Floor vote for Passage In Concurrence

June 28, 2019 at 7:53pm
Yeas: 33 / Nays: 0 / Not voting: 5 / Recused: 0
Legislator Vote
Sen. Algiere NV
Sen. Archambault Y
Sen. Bell Y
Sen. Cano Y
Sen. Ciccone Y
Sen. Conley Y
Sen. Coyne Y
Sen. Crowley NV
Sen. Cruz Y
Sen. DiPalma Y
Sen. Euer Y
Sen. Felag Y
Sen. Gallo NV
Sen. Goldin Y
Sen. Goodwin Y
Sen. Lawson Y
Sen. Lombardi NV
Sen. Lombardo Y
Sen. Lynch Prata Y
Sen. McCaffrey Y
Sen. McKenney Y
Sen. Metts Y
Sen. Miller Y
Sen. Morgan Y
Sen. Murray Y
Sen. Nesselbush Y
Sen. Paolino Y
Sen. Pearson Y
Sen. Picard Y
Sen. Quezada Y
Sen. Raptakis Y
Sen. Rogers Y
Sen. Ruggerio Y
Sen. Satchell NV
Sen. Seveney Y
Sen. Sheehan Y
Sen. Sosnowski Y
Sen. Valverde Y