The bill amends the General Laws regarding primaries for the election of delegates to national conventions and presidential preference by introducing ranked-choice voting for presidential preference primaries. It specifies that political parties can choose between a winner-take-all or proportional basis for vote tabulation and how delegates are allocated. The bill also outlines the process for presidential candidates to declare their candidacy, including the requirement for petition papers signed by at least 1,000 eligible voters, and the procedures for disqualification, objections, and withdrawal of candidates. New language is inserted to detail the withdrawal process, while certain terms like "the withdrawn" are deleted and replaced with "such" for clarity.

Additionally, the bill defines terms related to ranked-choice voting, such as "active candidate" and "threshold for receiving delegates," and explains the ballot layout, allowing voters to rank five presidential candidates. It describes the recount process for close races and the step-by-step tabulation method for ranked-choice voting, including the redistribution of votes from eliminated candidates. The bill mandates the secretary of state to certify and report round-by-round results and to release unofficial preliminary results on election night. It also introduces provisions for conducting risk-limiting audits after elections, including the publication of audit results and the conditions for starting audits in relation to recounts. The bill includes a severability clause and states that it will take effect upon passage, with the intention of establishing ranked-choice voting for Rhode Island Presidential primaries.

Statutes affected:
7540: 17-12.1-2, 17-12.1-4, 17-12.1-8, 17-12.1-9, 17-12.1-11, 17-12.1-12, 17-12.1-14, 17-19-37.4