Bill Sponsors
Bissaillon, LaMountain, Gallo, and Dimitri
Committee
Senate Judiciary
Summary
Select
This bill updates the laws regarding local canvassing authorities, which are the boards responsible for overseeing elections in Rhode Island cities and towns. It allows these boards to appoint two alternate members to serve when regular members are absent, ensuring that political balance is maintained during meetings. The bill also mandates that board member terms be staggered and expire in odd-numbered years. Additionally, it formally designates the city or town clerk (or a specific election official) as the primary contact for the Secretary of State and grants them authority to manage access to the statewide central voter register.
Sponsor
Analysis
Pros for Progressives
- Ensures the continuity of democratic processes by allowing alternate members to serve when regular members are absent, preventing delays in election administration.
- Formalizes the role of the town clerk as the chief local election official, creating a clear chain of accountability and communication with state officials regarding voter rights.
- Mandates staggered terms for board members to ensure institutional knowledge is retained and to prevent complete political turnover during a single election cycle.
Cons for Progressives
- Continues to rely on political party committees for nominations, which reinforces the two-party system rather than opening administration to non-affiliated voters.
- Centralizes control over voter registry access with a single official, which could potentially be abused if that official acts with political bias.
- Focuses purely on administrative bureaucracy rather than expanding voter access or addressing systemic barriers to voting faced by marginalized communities.
Pros for Conservatives
- Strengthens election integrity by clearly designating a chief local election official responsible for managing access to the statewide central voter register.
- Maintains strict bipartisan requirements for alternate members, ensuring that no single political party can dominate the canvassing authority during absences.
- Standardizes the expiration of terms and administrative procedures, promoting order and the rule of law in local governance.
Cons for Conservatives
- Expands government bureaucracy by adding alternate members to local boards, potentially complicating local governance structures.
- Imposes state-level mandates on local municipalities regarding term expirations and official designations, reducing local control over town affairs.
- Grants significant power over voter rolls to a single administrative liaison, which could be a point of failure or corruption in the election process.
Constitutional Concerns
None Likely
Impact Overview
Groups Affected
- Local canvassing authorities
- City and Town Clerks
- Registered Voters
- Political Party Committees
- Election Officials
Towns Affected
All
Cost to Taxpayers
Amount unknown
Revenue Generated
None
BillBuddy Impact Ratings
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Freedom Impact
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Public Services
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Regulatory
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Clarity of Bill Language
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Enforcement Provisions
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Environmental Impact
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Privacy Impact
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Bill Status
Current Status
Held
Comm Passed
Floor Passed
Law
History
• 01/16/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
Bill Text
SECTION 1. Sections 17-8-1, 17-8-2 and 17-8-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-8 entitled "Local Canvassing Authorities" are hereby amended to read as follows:
17-8-1. Appointment of bipartisan authority.
(a) The legislative body of each city and town shall appoint a bipartisan canvassing authority of three (3) qualified electors of the city or town, not more than two (2) of whom shall belong to the same political party, and may appoint two (2) alternate members, not more than one of whom shall belong to the same political party. At any meeting of the canvassing authority at which a member is to be absent, the member may request that an alternate replace him or her for that meeting; provided, that the alternate member must be of the same political party as the member. The mayor, in cities and towns that elect a mayor, or the president of the city or town council, in cities and towns with no elected mayor, shall, within thirty (30) days of receipt of lists, nominate the members of the canvassing authority from lists of party voters submitted by the respective chairpersons of the city or town political committee, which lists shall contain the names of five (5) times the number of persons to be appointed. If the legislative body refuses to approve the nomination of any person to the canvassing authority, the mayor or the president shall submit to the legislative body, within thirty (30) days of the refusal, another person named on one of the lists, and so on until a person is appointed. If the chairperson of the city or town committee of a political party entitled to an appointment fails or refuses to submit a list, within thirty (30) days of notice of a vacancy, the mayor or the council president, as the case may be, shall nominate any party voter of the political party entitled to the appointment.
(b) In any instance in which a vacancy occurs and the remaining two (2) members of the canvassing authority each belong to different political parties, the respective chairpersons of any recognized city or town political party committee that has duly filed an organization with the canvassing authority, in accordance with § 17-12-9, shall each be entitled to submit a list, and the mayor or the council president, as the case may be, shall nominate any party voter from any of the submitted lists, in accordance with the procedures of subsection (a) of this section.
17-8-2. Term and qualifications for office.
(a) Each member of a local canvassing authority shall be appointed to serve for a term of six (6) years beginning on the first Monday of March succeeding the date of his or her appointment and until his or her successor is elected and qualified. No person shall be appointed or serve as a member of the authority who is an officer or employee of the United States or of this state, or who is an officer or employee of the authority’s city or town; provided, that in any city a member of the authority may be employed as its clerk. Any member of the authority who becomes a candidate for election to any public office and who fails to file a declination of the candidacy within the time allowed by law shall be disqualified from holding membership upon the authority and his or her successor shall be immediately elected.
(b) The fixed six (6) year terms of members of a local canvassing authority shall expire on a staggered basis on the first Monday of March in odd-numbered year. If the term expiration dates on record for any canvassing authority members are found to be in noncompliance with the provisions of this section, the town or city clerk shall immediately correct them.
(c) The fixed six (6) year terms of alternates of a local canvassing authority shall expire on the first Mondy of March in any odd-numbered year.
17-8-5. Local boards — Powers and duties — Quorum.
(a) Each canvassing authority shall have and exercise the functions, powers, and duties provided for local boards by this title or by any law not inconsistent with this title. It shall:
(1) Select one of its members as presiding officer and another as clerk of the board; provided, that nothing in this title shall be deemed to affect the powers and duties of the town clerk who shall be ex officio the clerk of the respective town canvassing authorities; and provided, further, that in the cities of Pawtucket, Central Falls, Newport, Woonsocket, Cranston, and Warwick, the clerk shall be designated at the time of his or her election or appointment;
(2) Have and discharge all of the functions, powers, and duties of the town council concerning nominations, elections, registration of voters and canvassing rights, the preparing and correcting of voting lists, and other related matters, which powers are transferred to the local board; LC004180 - Page 2 of 4
(3) Make or furnish all returns or other things required by law to be made or furnished to or by city clerks, boards of canvassers, and district clerks, relative to any matter within the purview of this title;
(4) Appoint and employ all its necessary clerical and technical assistants and fix the compensation of each person appointed, within the limits of funds available to it pursuant to law; provided, that in the cities of Cranston and Woonsocket and the town of Coventry the employment and compensation shall be subject to the approval of the respective city or town councils.
(5) The town or city clerk, or designee, in municipalities where the town or city clerk is by law, charter, or ordinance charged with the functions of election administration, shall be the chief local election official, primary administrative contact, and liaison from the canvassing authority and local board to the secretary of state and to the state board of elections, except in towns and cities where an election office, separate from the town or city clerk, is charged with election administration, said chief local election official shall be designated by the local board and shall hold the same duties. The chief local election official, upon taking office as city or town clerk, or upon designation by the local board, as the case may be, shall designate an alternate local election official, and shall at all times provide and maintain emergency contact information for, at minimum, the chief local election official, the alternate local election official, and the chairperson of the board of canvassers on file with the secretary of state and state board of elections; and
(6) The chief local election official, under the direction of the local board, shall notify the secretary of state to add, modify, or revoke access to the statewide central voter register for any system users in the municipality who require it in order to carry out the duties imposed on the canvassing authority by this title.
(b) A quorum of a local board for the purpose of receiving registrations shall be comprised of one member of the board, and for all other purposes a quorum shall be comprised of two (2) members.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027.
17-8-1. Appointment of bipartisan authority.
(a) The legislative body of each city and town shall appoint a bipartisan canvassing authority of three (3) qualified electors of the city or town, not more than two (2) of whom shall belong to the same political party, and may appoint two (2) alternate members, not more than one of whom shall belong to the same political party. At any meeting of the canvassing authority at which a member is to be absent, the member may request that an alternate replace him or her for that meeting; provided, that the alternate member must be of the same political party as the member. The mayor, in cities and towns that elect a mayor, or the president of the city or town council, in cities and towns with no elected mayor, shall, within thirty (30) days of receipt of lists, nominate the members of the canvassing authority from lists of party voters submitted by the respective chairpersons of the city or town political committee, which lists shall contain the names of five (5) times the number of persons to be appointed. If the legislative body refuses to approve the nomination of any person to the canvassing authority, the mayor or the president shall submit to the legislative body, within thirty (30) days of the refusal, another person named on one of the lists, and so on until a person is appointed. If the chairperson of the city or town committee of a political party entitled to an appointment fails or refuses to submit a list, within thirty (30) days of notice of a vacancy, the mayor or the council president, as the case may be, shall nominate any party voter of the political party entitled to the appointment.
(b) In any instance in which a vacancy occurs and the remaining two (2) members of the canvassing authority each belong to different political parties, the respective chairpersons of any recognized city or town political party committee that has duly filed an organization with the canvassing authority, in accordance with § 17-12-9, shall each be entitled to submit a list, and the mayor or the council president, as the case may be, shall nominate any party voter from any of the submitted lists, in accordance with the procedures of subsection (a) of this section.
17-8-2. Term and qualifications for office.
(a) Each member of a local canvassing authority shall be appointed to serve for a term of six (6) years beginning on the first Monday of March succeeding the date of his or her appointment and until his or her successor is elected and qualified. No person shall be appointed or serve as a member of the authority who is an officer or employee of the United States or of this state, or who is an officer or employee of the authority’s city or town; provided, that in any city a member of the authority may be employed as its clerk. Any member of the authority who becomes a candidate for election to any public office and who fails to file a declination of the candidacy within the time allowed by law shall be disqualified from holding membership upon the authority and his or her successor shall be immediately elected.
(b) The fixed six (6) year terms of members of a local canvassing authority shall expire on a staggered basis on the first Monday of March in odd-numbered year. If the term expiration dates on record for any canvassing authority members are found to be in noncompliance with the provisions of this section, the town or city clerk shall immediately correct them.
(c) The fixed six (6) year terms of alternates of a local canvassing authority shall expire on the first Mondy of March in any odd-numbered year.
17-8-5. Local boards — Powers and duties — Quorum.
(a) Each canvassing authority shall have and exercise the functions, powers, and duties provided for local boards by this title or by any law not inconsistent with this title. It shall:
(1) Select one of its members as presiding officer and another as clerk of the board; provided, that nothing in this title shall be deemed to affect the powers and duties of the town clerk who shall be ex officio the clerk of the respective town canvassing authorities; and provided, further, that in the cities of Pawtucket, Central Falls, Newport, Woonsocket, Cranston, and Warwick, the clerk shall be designated at the time of his or her election or appointment;
(2) Have and discharge all of the functions, powers, and duties of the town council concerning nominations, elections, registration of voters and canvassing rights, the preparing and correcting of voting lists, and other related matters, which powers are transferred to the local board; LC004180 - Page 2 of 4
(3) Make or furnish all returns or other things required by law to be made or furnished to or by city clerks, boards of canvassers, and district clerks, relative to any matter within the purview of this title;
(4) Appoint and employ all its necessary clerical and technical assistants and fix the compensation of each person appointed, within the limits of funds available to it pursuant to law; provided, that in the cities of Cranston and Woonsocket and the town of Coventry the employment and compensation shall be subject to the approval of the respective city or town councils.
(5) The town or city clerk, or designee, in municipalities where the town or city clerk is by law, charter, or ordinance charged with the functions of election administration, shall be the chief local election official, primary administrative contact, and liaison from the canvassing authority and local board to the secretary of state and to the state board of elections, except in towns and cities where an election office, separate from the town or city clerk, is charged with election administration, said chief local election official shall be designated by the local board and shall hold the same duties. The chief local election official, upon taking office as city or town clerk, or upon designation by the local board, as the case may be, shall designate an alternate local election official, and shall at all times provide and maintain emergency contact information for, at minimum, the chief local election official, the alternate local election official, and the chairperson of the board of canvassers on file with the secretary of state and state board of elections; and
(6) The chief local election official, under the direction of the local board, shall notify the secretary of state to add, modify, or revoke access to the statewide central voter register for any system users in the municipality who require it in order to carry out the duties imposed on the canvassing authority by this title.
(b) A quorum of a local board for the purpose of receiving registrations shall be comprised of one member of the board, and for all other purposes a quorum shall be comprised of two (2) members.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027.