The bill introduces amendments to Chapter 17-12.1 of the General Laws, which governs the process of primaries for the election of delegates to national conventions and presidential preference. It establishes ranked choice voting for the presidential preference primary, allowing voters to rank their preferences, including the option to rank "uncommitted." The bill requires state party committees to inform the secretary of state of their preference for a winner-take-all or proportional delegate allocation method, and if proportional, the threshold for receiving delegates. It also permits political parties to allocate delegates according to their own rules. The bill includes insertions of new legal language and deletions of previous language, reflecting updates to the election process, such as the removal of the requirement for candidates for delegates to be listed under the name of each presidential nominee.

Additionally, the bill details the form of the ballot, which must allow voters to rank five qualified presidential candidates, and defines terms related to the voting process. It provides for recounts in close races and outlines the tabulation process for ranked choice voting, including how to handle undervotes and inactive ballots. The bill mandates the secretary of state to release unofficial preliminary results after polls close and to publish official final results with detailed data. It also grants the secretary of state the authority to create rules necessary for implementing these changes and includes provisions for risk-limiting audits after presidential preference primaries and general elections. The bill specifies that the results of any audits must be published on the state board's website within 48 hours of acceptance and that audits should not commence for any election subject to a recount until the recount is concluded. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
2425: 17-19-37.4