The bill proposes amendments to the General Laws in Chapter 17-19, specifically Section 17-19-31, which deals with the treatment of "irregular ballots" in elections. An irregular ballot is one that is cast for a person not listed as a nominated candidate or when no eligible candidate appears on the ballot, provided the person meets the qualifications set out in the newly introduced § 17-14-18. The bill clarifies that irregular ballots are valid when the number of write-in votes for a person equals or exceeds the votes for any eligible, winning candidate listed on the ballot. It also mandates that these ballots must be placed in the correct section of the ballot to be counted and describes the procedure for handling them after the polls close.

Furthermore, the bill modifies Section 17-22-7, which outlines the board's duties in recording votes. It now requires the board to report all write-in votes for individuals who qualify as write-in candidates under § 17-19-31. The bill introduces § 17-14-18, necessitating write-in candidates to submit a declaration of intent by a certain deadline, along with specific information. This section also sets forth eligibility requirements for write-in candidates, such as not being incarcerated for a felony or declared non compos mentis. The bill stipulates that write-in votes must be counted in cases where no candidate is on the ballot, and all write-in votes should be published on the state board of elections' website. The legislation will become effective immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
841: 17-19-31, 17-22-7