AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- GENERAL PROVISIONS (Redefines "political party" and defines and distinguishes between "major parties" and "minor parties" based on the total number of votes a party's candidate received in the previous election.)

H7978

2026 -- H 7978
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LC004347
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- GENERAL PROVISIONS

Introduced By:
Representatives Place, and Stewart

Date Introduced:
February 27, 2026

Referred To:
House State Government & Elections
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 17-1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-1 entitled "General
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Provisions" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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17-1-2. Definitions.
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For the purposes this title, except as may otherwise be required by the context:
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(1) “Election” means the filling of any public office or the determination of any public
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question by vote of the electorate, and includes without limitation any state, town, or city office or
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question, and any political party primary election for the nomination of any candidate for public
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office; except that it shall not include a financial town meeting or a meeting to elect officers of a
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fire, water, or sewer district;
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(2) “General election” means an election held on the first Tuesday next after the first
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Monday in November in even numbered years for the election of members of the general assembly
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and/or for the election of general officers, and/or for the election of presidential electors for
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president/vice-president of the United States;
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(3) “General officer” means an officer designated as a general officer by chapter 2 of this
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title;
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(4) “Independent candidate” means a candidate who has no affiliation with any political
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party;
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(5) “Local board” means a town or city board of canvassers, board of canvassers and
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registration, canvassing authority, or any other local board, commission, or officer empowered by

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law to have custody of the permanent registration records;
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(6) “Local election” means any election limited to the electorate of any city or town, or any
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part, at which any city, town, ward, or district officers are to be chosen, or any elective meeting at
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which a question is to be submitted to the voters of a city, town, or any subdivision of a city or
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town, but it shall not include a financial town meeting;
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(7) “Party member” means any person who is a member of a designated political party
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pursuant to § 17-9.1-23;
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(8) “Party voter” means any qualified voter who is eligible to vote at the primary election
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of a political party;
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(9) “Political party” or
major
“party” means:
(i)
any political organization which,
at the
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next preceding general election for the election of general officers, nominated a candidate for
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governor, and whose candidate for governor at the election polled at least five percent (5%) of the
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entire vote cast in the state for governor, or (ii) any political organization which at the next
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preceding general election for the election of a president of the United States nominated a candidate
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for president and whose candidate for president at the election polled at least five percent (5%) of
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the entire vote cast in the state for president, or (iii) any political organization which, on petition
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forms provided to the chairperson of the organization by the state board of elections, obtains the
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signatures and addresses of that number of registered qualified voters equal to five percent (5%) of
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the entire vote cast in the state for governor or president in the immediately preceding general
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election. All the signatures must be obtained no earlier than January 1 of the year in which the
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political organization desires to place a candidate or candidates on any ballot as a “party” candidate.
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If the political organization wishes to select its nominees in a primary election, the petitions, bearing
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the requisite number of valid signatures, shall be presented to the appropriate local boards of
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canvassers no later than June 1 of the same year. If the petitions are validated by the local boards
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as containing the requisite number of valid signatures, the political organization shall be deemed to
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be a political party for all elections held during the year and may select its nominees in a primary
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election. If the political organization does not wish to select its nominees in a primary election, then
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the petitions need not be returned to local boards of canvassers until August 1 of the same year. An
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organization qualifying as a political party through the petition process shall qualify as a political
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party only during the year in which signatures are obtained unless the candidates for governor or
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president of the United States of the party at a general election held in the year, shall receive five
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percent (5%) of the vote as provided in this subdivision for either governor or president of the
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United States. If the candidates do not receive five percent (5%) of the vote, the organization shall
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no longer qualify as a political party unless and until it shall, in a subsequent year, once again

LC004347 - Page 2 of 5
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qualify by the submission of petitions

at the last preceding general election, nominated a candidate
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for President, United States Senator, Representative of Congress, governor, lieutenant governor,
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attorney general, secretary of state, or state treasurer, who received at least two percent (2%) of the
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total votes cast in the state, or has one or more members serving in the general assembly, or at least
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five thousand (5,000) voters were enrolled in the party as of June 1 of a general election year;
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"Minor parties" means any political organization which has yet to reach five thousand
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(5,000) registered voters or whose candidate(s) received less than two percent (2%) of the total
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votes cast in the previous election
;
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(10) “Polling place” means the room in which any election or elective meeting is
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conducted;
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(11) “Primary election” means any election to select the candidates of a political party;
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(12) “Proposition” or “public question” means any question put to a referendum of the
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electorate of the entire state or any part of it;
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(13) “Qualified voter” means any person who is eligible to vote under the requirements of
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age, residence, and citizenship prescribed by the state constitution and who is duly registered to
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vote, or who is exempt from registration, pursuant to this title, and who is not otherwise disqualified
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as a voter pursuant to law;
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(14) “Special election” means any election other than a local election or primary election
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which is not held on a general election day;
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(15) “State board” means the state board of elections constituted pursuant to this title;
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(16) “State election” means any election at which any presidential electors, senator or
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representatives in congress, general officers of the state, or members of the general assembly are to
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be chosen, or at which a public question or an amendment to the Constitution is submitted to the
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electors of the state;
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(17) “State officer” means the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney
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general, general treasurer, state senator, and state representative;
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(18) “Vacancy in office” means the condition resulting from any failure to elect or appoint
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an eligible and qualified person to public office, or the failure of any person duly elected or
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appointed to qualify, or from the death, resignation, or removal of an incumbent prior to the
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expiration of his or her term of office and where no fixed term is prescribed upon the death,
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resignation, or removal;
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(19) “Voting list” means the complete list of all voters prepared from the information
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contained in the original permanent registration records in the possession of the local board of
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canvassers;

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(20) “Warden” includes “moderator” and vice versa;
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(21) Words importing the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender.
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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 -- GENERAL PROVISIONS
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This act would redefine "Political Party" and define and distinguish between "major
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parties" and "minor parties" based on the total number of votes a party's candidate received in the
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previous election among other factors.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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LC004347 - Page 5 of 5