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," which are distinguished based on the performance of a party's candidates in previous elections. Specifically, a "major party" is defined as a political organization that, at the last preceding general election, 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, or has one or more members serving in the General Assembly, or has at least five thousand (5,000) voters enrolled in the party as of June 1 of a general election year. In contrast, "minor parties" are defined as any political organization that has yet to reach five thousand (5,000) registered voters or whose candidates received less than two percent (2%) of the total votes cast in the previous election.

Additionally, the bill removes previous criteria for defining a political party, such as the requirement for a party's candidate for governor or president to have received at least five percent of the vote in the last general election. The new language clarifies the conditions under which a political organization can qualify as a political party, focusing on the number of registered voters and the percentage of votes received in prior elections. This act will take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
6251: 17-1-2