The bill amends Section 17-1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-1, which pertains to general provisions related to elections. It introduces new definitions, including "major party" and "minor party," and establishes criteria for these classifications. A "major party" is defined as a political organization that either nominated a candidate for President, United States Senator, Representative of Congress, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, or state treasurer who received at least two percent (2%) of the total votes cast in the state during the last general election, has members serving in the general assembly, or has at least five thousand (5,000) registered voters as of June 1 of a general election year. Conversely, "minor parties" are defined as those that have not reached five thousand registered voters or whose candidates received less than two percent of the total votes in the previous election.

Additionally, the bill deletes previous criteria for defining a political party, which included specific thresholds related to gubernatorial and presidential elections. The new language streamlines the definition and focuses on broader participation metrics, thereby potentially allowing more political organizations to qualify as parties. The act is set to take effect upon passage, reflecting a significant update to the legal framework governing political party classifications and election definitions.

Statutes affected:
907: 17-1-2