The bill amends Chapter 17-14 of the General Laws, which governs the nomination process for party and independent candidates. Key changes include the establishment of new filing deadlines for declarations of candidacy, now required to be submitted on the seventy-seventh (77th) and seventy-eighth (78th) days before the primary election. Additionally, the deadline for submitting nomination papers has been modified from the sixtieth (60th) to the sixty-first (61st) day prior to the primary. The bill also introduces new candidate requirements, including certifications regarding criminal history and party affiliation, and clarifies the process for preparing and submitting nomination papers. These amendments aim to streamline the nomination process and ensure compliance with updated legal standards, with certain provisions set to take effect on January 1, 2025.

Further amendments include extending the deadline for independent presidential candidates and candidates from specific political parties to file their nomination papers from sixty (60) days to sixty-seven (67) days before the general election. The filing deadline for state office candidates has been adjusted from fifty-four (54) days to fifty-five (55) days before the primary election, while the deadline for independent presidential candidates has been changed from fifty-four (54) days to sixty-one (61) days prior to the election. The bill also establishes new procedures for handling objections to candidate eligibility and the sufficiency of nomination papers, with specific deadlines for filing objections and provisions for hearings on such objections. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
5381: 17-15-1