The bill amends Section 17-9.1-23 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-9.1 entitled "Registration of Voters" to allow individuals registering to vote to designate their party affiliation or indicate that they are not affiliated with any political party. The bill specifies that when an unaffiliated voter participates in a party primary, their party affiliation shall remain unaffiliated, which includes casting a ballot by various means or signing a ballot application. It also provides a form for disaffiliating from a political party at polling and early voting locations and clarifies that no person shall be affiliated with a political party solely due to the circulation or signing of nomination papers. Election officials are authorized to inform voters that unaffiliated status is preserved when participating in a party primary without any additional action.

Additionally, the bill amends Sections 17-15-21 and 17-15-24 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-15 entitled "Primary Elections" to allow non-affiliated voters to participate in either party's primary election without becoming an affiliated party voter. It removes the disqualification of a person from voting in a party primary if they have voted in another party's primary without changing their party designation. The bill ensures that non-affiliated voters are not barred from voting in a party primary due to participation in a previous party primary while not affiliated with a party. The act is set to take effect on June 1, 2024.

Statutes affected:
2894: 17-9.1-23