JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION -- OF SUFFRAGE (Proposes to the voters of the state a constitutional amendment regarding eligibility to vote and to be a candidate.)

S2132

2026 -- S 2132
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LC003676
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF
AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION -- OF SUFFRAGE

Introduced By:
Senators LaMountain, Ciccone, Lawson, Burke, McKenney, and
Bissaillon

Date Introduced:
January 16, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Judiciary
(Secretary of State)
1
RESOLVED, That a majority of all members elected to each house of the general
2
assembly voting therefor, the following amendment to the Constitution of the state be proposed to
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the qualified electors of the state in accordance with the provisions of Article XIV of the
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Constitution, for their approval, and that it take the place of Article II, Sections 1 and 2, which are
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hereby amended, effective January 1, 2027, to read as follows:
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ARTICLE II
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OF SUFFRAGE
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SECTION 1. Persons entitled to vote.
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Every citizen of the United States of the age of eighteen years or over who
has had
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residence and home in

is a resident of
this state
for thirty days next preceding the time of voting,
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who has resided thirty days

and resides
in the town or city from which such citizen desires to
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vote, and whose name shall be registered
at least thirty days next preceding the time of voting
as
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provided by law, shall have the right to vote for all offices to be elected and on all questions
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submitted to the electors, except that no person who has been lawfully adjudicated to be non
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compos mentis shall be permitted to vote. No person who is incarcerated in a correctional facility
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upon a felony conviction shall be permitted to vote until such person is discharged from the
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facility. Upon discharge, such person’s right to vote shall be restored. The general assembly may
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provide by law for
shorter state and local
residence
and registration
requirements to vote for
all
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offices to be elected and on all questions submitted to the
electors
for president and vice president

1
of the United States
.
2
SECTION 2. Nomination of candidates — Voter registration — Absentee voting —
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Conduct of elections — Residency.
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The general assembly shall provide by law for the nomination of candidates
, but no
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person shall be eligible to file a declaration of candidacy who has not been a qualified elector in
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Rhode Island for at least thirty (30) days
; for a uniform system of permanent registration of
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voters; for the exemption from such registration of persons in the active service of the nation and
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their families absent from the state because of such service, and, in time of war, members of the
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Merchant Marine; for absentee and shut in voting; for the time, manner and place of conducting
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elections; for the prevention of abuse, corruption and fraud in voting; and may define by law
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residence for voting purposes, but no person shall acquire such residence merely by being
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stationed or assigned in this state in the active service of the United States.
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RESOLVED, That this amendment shall take, in the Constitution of the State, the place
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of Section 1 and Section 2 of Article II of the Constitution;
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It is further
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RESOLVED, That said proposition of amendment shall be submitted to the electors for
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their approval or rejection at the next statewide general election. The voting places in the several
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cities and towns shall be kept open during the hours required by law for voting therein for general
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officers of the state; and be it further
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RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause the said proposition of amendments
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to be published as a part of this resolution in the newspapers of the state prior to the date of the
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said meetings of the said electors; and the said proposition shall be inserted in the warrants or
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notices to be issued previous to said meetings of the electors for the purpose of warning the town,
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ward, or district meetings, and said proposition shall be read by the town, ward, or district
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meetings to be held as aforesaid; and be it further
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RESOLVED, That the town, ward, and district meetings to be held aforesaid shall be
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warned, and the list of voters shall be canvassed and made up, and the said town, ward, and
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district meetings shall be conducted in the same manner as now provided by law for the town,
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ward, and district meetings for the election of general officers of the state.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF
AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION -- OF SUFFRAGE
***
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This Joint Resolution would propose to the voters of the state a constitutional amendment
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which would remove the thirty (30) day state and local residency requirements, and require that a
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voter be registered by, or on election day. It would also provide that no person would be eligible
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to file a declaration of candidacy who has not been a qualified elector in Rhode Island for at least
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thirty days.
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