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

Additionally, the bill extends 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. It also adjusts the filing deadline for state offices from fifty-four (54) days to fifty-five (55) days before the primary, and for independent presidential candidates from fifty-four (54) days to sixty-one (61) days before the election. The bill establishes new procedures for handling objections to nomination papers, requiring local candidate objections to be filed by 4:00 p.m. on the fifty-sixth (56th) day before the primary, and federal and state candidate objections by 4:00 p.m. on the fifty-fourth (54th) day. A process for the state board to review allegations of forgery in nomination papers is also included, with findings on signature validity required. This portion of the bill is set to take effect on January 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
741: 17-15-1