AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- LOCAL CANVASSING AUTHORITIES (Changes how voter are notified of elections and vote registration deadlines, and local board questions.)

S2282

2026 -- S 2282
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LC004178
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- LOCAL CANVASSING AUTHORITIES

Introduced By:
Senators Dimitri, LaMountain, Famiglietti, Patalano, and Thompson

Date Introduced:
January 23, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Judiciary
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 17-8-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-8 entitled "Local
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Canvassing Authorities" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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17-8-10. Publication of local questions to be submitted to voters.
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(a)
Prior

At least twenty-five (25) days prior
to each local election at which public questions
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are to be submitted, the local board shall cause to be prominently posted in at least three (3) local
6
public locations and advertised at least once in a newspaper of local circulation
, or in lieu of the
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requirement to place the advertisement in a newspaper of local circulation, the City of Pawtucket
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may mail to the household of each registered voter prior to the election
the full text of each
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legislative act to be acted upon and the election date, or the local board may substitute a description
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of the text of each act in lieu of the full text, together with the following information:
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(1) The designated number of the question;
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(2) A brief caption of the question;
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(3) A brief explanation of the measure that is the subject matter of the question; and
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(4) A notice that voter fraud is a felony and the penalty for voter fraud. This notice shall be
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in conspicuous lettering and shall contain the following language: “You must be registered to vote
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from your actual place of residence.”
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(b) If the public question involves the issuance of bonds or other evidence of indebtedness
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or any other long-term financial obligation such as a lease, the notice required by subsection (a) of
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this section shall also include at least the following information to be provided:

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(1) The estimated total cost of the project or program, including financing (using a
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reasonable assumed rate of interest), legal, and other costs.
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(2) The estimated useful life of the project, and the term of the bonds, other indebtedness,
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or other obligation.
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(3) A reasonably detailed description of the project or program, its purposes, and a project
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timetable.
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(c) The local board shall additionally publish a conspicuous and prominent notice,
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containing all of the same information on the municipality's website for at least twenty-five (25)
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consecutive days leading up to and including the date of the election, where the local question(s)
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are certified to appear on the ballot. Said notice shall reasonably comply with the most recent,
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commonly adopted Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which shall be no less than
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2.0 compliance level AA.
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(d) The local board may, at its discretion, substitute the newspaper advertising
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requirements listed in subsection (a) of this section, by mailing a notice containing all of the same
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information to each voter household in the applicable election jurisdiction, in addition to
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prominently posting the same in at least three (3) local public locations.
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SECTION 2. Chapter 17-8 of the General Laws entitled "Local Canvassing Authorities" is
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hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
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17-8-11. Publication of early voting dates, hours, and location.

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(a) The local board shall advertise the dates, hours, and location of early voting in a
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newspaper of general circulation in the city or town, at least once prior to the commencement of
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any in-person early voting period to be conducted by the local board, and at least once while that
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same early voting period is underway.
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(b) The local board shall publish a conspicuous and prominent notice on the municipality's
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website of the dates, hours, and location of early voting, and said notice shall remain published
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throughout the duration of any in-person early voting period conducted by the local board. Said
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notice shall reasonably comply with the most recent, commonly adopted Web Content Accessibility
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Guidelines (WCAG), which shall be no less than 2.0 compliance level AA.
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SECTION 3. Section 17-9.1-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-9.1 entitled "Registration
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of Voters" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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17-9.1-3. Periods when boards receive registrations.
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(a) The local boards shall open their respective offices for the purposes of receiving
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registration

registrations
of voters throughout the year during
the

their
regular business hours.
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Registration for any election shall close on the thirtieth (30th) day preceding an election
; provided,

LC004178 - Page 2 of 4
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that local boards shall not receive the registration on Sundays or legal holidays, and may receive
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the registrations during additional hours each day from the fortieth (40th) to the thirtieth (30th) day
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before any election
. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as restricting the right of
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local boards,
statewide or local registration agents
,
or members of the general assembly to accept
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registrations of voters on any day
or at any time
. The acceptance of registrations at any other time
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shall not affect the validity of any election.
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(b) Notwithstanding any other sections of the general laws to the contrary, all local boards
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of canvassers shall remain open from eight-thirty (8:30) a.m. until four o’clock (4:00) p.m. on the
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last day prescribed by law for the
taking

receiving
of voter registrations to permit participation of
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the voters in the next succeeding election. In the event that the last day prescribed by law for the
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taking

receiving
of voter registrations is a Saturday, Sunday
,
or legal holiday, then the local board
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may
;
:
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(1) Designate one publicly accessible location in the city or town at which voter
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registrations will be
taken

received
; and
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(2) Designate the hours during which voter
registration

registrations
will be
taken

received

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at that location, which hours shall include the hours from one o’clock (1:00) p.m. until four o’clock
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(4:00) p.m.
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(c) If a local board does designate a location other than its regular place of business or does
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designate hours other than eight-thirty o’clock (8:30) a.m. until four o’clock (4:00) p.m., it shall:
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(1)
Publicly announce

Prominently post in at least three (3) local public locations
those
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designation(s) at least ten (10) days prior to the last day provided by law for the
taking

receiving

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of voter registrations; and
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(2) Advertise those designation(s) in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or town
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at least twice prior to the last day prescribed by law for the
taking

receiving
of voter registrations.
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The local board may substitute advertising in a newspaper by posting a conspicuous and prominent
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notice of those designation(s) on the municipality's website, for at least ten (10) consecutive days
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leading up to and including the last day prescribed by law for the receiving of voter registrations
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for any election. Said notice shall reasonably comply with the most recent, commonly adopted Web
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Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which shall be no less than 2.0 compliance level AA.
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SECTION 4. 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 -- LOCAL CANVASSING AUTHORITIES
***
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This act would require the local board to publish early voting dates, hours, and location, at
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least twice in a newspaper of general circulation within the city or town, and to publish the same
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on the municipality's website for the duration of the in-person early voting period.
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This act would permit the substitution of advertising the voter registration deadline in a
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newspaper by posting notice of designation(s) on the municipality's website, continuously, for at
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least ten (10) consecutive days leading up to the last day prescribed by law for the receiving of
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voter registrations.
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This act would require the local board to publish local ballot questions on its website for
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25 consecutive days, and to authorize the substitution of newspaper advertisements if a jurisdiction-
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wide household mailing containing the same information is instead sent.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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LC004178
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