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S2136A
2026 -- S 2136 SUBSTITUTE A
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LC004180/SUB A
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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 -- LOCAL CANVASSING AUTHORITIES
Introduced By:
Senators Bissaillon, LaMountain, Gallo, and Dimitri
Date Introduced:
January 16, 2026
Referred To:
Senate Judiciary
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Sections 17-8-1, 17-8-2 and 17-8-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-8
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entitled "Local Canvassing Authorities" are hereby amended to read as follows:
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17-8-1. Appointment of bipartisan authority.
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(a)
The legislative body of each city and town shall appoint a bipartisan canvassing
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authority of three (3) qualified electors of the city or town, not more than two (2) of whom shall
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belong to the same political party, and may appoint two (2) alternate members, not more than one
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of whom shall belong to the same political party. At any meeting of the canvassing authority at
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which a member is to be absent, the member may request that an alternate replace him or her for
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that meeting; provided, that the alternate member must be of the same political party as the member.
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The mayor
, in cities and towns that elect a mayor,
or the president of the
city or
town council
, in
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cities and towns with no elected mayor,
shall
, within thirty (30) days of receipt of lists,
nominate
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the members of the canvassing authority from lists of party voters submitted by the respective
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chairpersons of the city or town political committee, which lists shall contain the names of five (5)
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times the number of persons to be appointed. If the legislative body refuses to approve the
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nomination of any person to the canvassing authority, the mayor or the president shall submit to
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the legislative body
, within thirty (30) days of the refusal,
another person named on one of the lists,
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and so on until a person is appointed. If the chairperson of the city or town committee of a political
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party entitled to an appointment fails or refuses to submit a list,
within thirty (30) days of notice of
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a vacancy,
the mayor or the
council
president
, as the case may be,
shall nominate any party voter
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of the political party entitled to the appointment.
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(b) In any instance in which a vacancy occurs and the remaining two (2) members of the
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canvassing authority each belong to different political parties, the respective chairpersons of any
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recognized city or town political party committee that has duly filed an organization with the
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canvassing authority, in accordance with § 17-12-9, shall each be entitled to submit a list, and the
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mayor or the council president, as the case may be, shall nominate any party voter from any of the
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submitted lists, in accordance with the procedures of subsection (a) of this section.
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17-8-2. Term and qualifications for office.
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(a)
Each member of a local canvassing authority shall be appointed to serve for a term of
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six (6) years beginning on the first Monday of March succeeding the date of his or her appointment
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and until his or her successor is elected and qualified. No person shall be appointed or serve as a
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member of the authority who is an officer or employee of the United States or of this state, or who
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is an officer or employee of the authority’s city or town; provided, that in any city a member of the
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authority may be employed as its clerk. Any member of the authority who becomes a candidate for
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election to any public office and who fails to file a declination of the candidacy within the time
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allowed by law shall be disqualified from holding membership upon the authority and his or her
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successor shall be immediately elected.
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(b) The fixed six (6) year terms of members of a local canvassing authority shall expire on
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a staggered basis on the first Monday of March in odd-numbered year. If the term expiration dates
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on record for any canvassing authority members are found to be in noncompliance with the
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provisions of this section, the town or city clerk shall provide written notice of the correction to the
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canvassing authority and any affected member and shall amend the official records to reflect the
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corrected term expiration date.
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(c) The fixed six (6) year terms of alternates of a local canvassing authority shall expire on
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the first Mondy of March in any odd-numbered year.
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17-8-5. Local boards — Powers and duties — Quorum.
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(a) Each canvassing authority shall have and exercise the functions, powers, and duties
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provided for local boards by this title or by any law not inconsistent with this title. It shall:
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(1) Select one of its members as presiding officer and another as clerk of the board;
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provided, that nothing in this title shall be deemed to affect the powers and duties of the town clerk
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who shall be ex officio the clerk of the respective town canvassing authorities; and provided,
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further, that in the cities of Pawtucket, Central Falls, Newport, Woonsocket, Cranston, and
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Warwick, the clerk shall be designated at the time of his or her election or appointment;
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(2) Have and discharge all of the functions, powers, and duties of the town council
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concerning nominations, elections, registration of voters and canvassing rights, the preparing and
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correcting of voting lists, and other related matters, which powers are transferred to the local board;
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(3) Make or furnish all returns or other things required by law to be made or furnished to
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or by city clerks, boards of canvassers, and district clerks, relative to any matter within the purview
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of this title;
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(4) Appoint and employ all its necessary clerical and technical assistants and fix the
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compensation of each person appointed, within the limits of funds available to it pursuant to law;
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provided, that in the cities of Cranston and Woonsocket and the town of Coventry the employment
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and compensation shall be subject to the approval of the respective city or town councils.
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(5) The town or city clerk, or designee, in municipalities where the town or city clerk is by
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law, charter, or ordinance charged with the functions of election administration, shall be the chief
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local election official, primary administrative contact, and liaison from the canvassing authority
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and local board to the secretary of state and to the state board of elections, except in towns and
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cities where an election office, separate from the town or city clerk, is charged with election
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administration, said chief local election official shall be designated by the local board and shall
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hold the same duties. The chief local election official, upon taking office as city or town clerk, or
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upon designation by the local board, as the case may be, shall designate an alternate local election
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official, and shall at all times provide and maintain emergency contact information for, at minimum,
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the chief local election official, the alternate local election official, and the chairperson of the board
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of canvassers on file with the secretary of state and state board of elections; and
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(6) The chief local election official, under the direction of the local board, shall notify the
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secretary of state to add, modify, or revoke access to the statewide central voter register for any
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system users in the municipality who require it in order to carry out the duties imposed on the
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canvassing authority by this title.
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(b) A quorum of a local board for the purpose of receiving registrations shall be comprised
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of one member of the board, and for all other purposes a quorum shall be comprised of two (2)
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members.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- LOCAL CANVASSING AUTHORITIES
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This act would require the respective party chairpersons to submit lists of party voters to
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the mayor or council president, as the case may be, within thirty (30) days of notice of vacancy, in
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a municipal election office and would require the mayor or council president to make a nomination
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for a replacement to the council within thirty (30) days of receipt of the lists. It would also clarify
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the term expiration dates for canvassing authority members and alternates and would direct the city
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or town clerk to provide written notice of the corrections and amend the official records, if the term
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expiration dates on record, are found to be in noncompliance with the provisions of this act. The
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act would require the local canvassing board to designate a chief local election official, and for that
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designee to designate an alternate local election official and would further establish that the chief
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local election official is the only agent authorized to request user access to the statewide central
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voter register, via the secretary of state.
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This act would take effect on January 1, 2027.
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