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 based on the performance of a party's candidates in previous elections. Specifically, a "major party" is defined as one that, at the last preceding general election, nominated a candidate for President, U.S. 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) registered voters as of June 1 of a general election year. Conversely, "minor parties" are defined as any political organization that has yet to reach five thousand (5,000) registered voters or whose candidate(s) 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, which included specific vote percentages from prior elections. The new language streamlines the definition and focuses on the current electoral landscape, allowing for a more straightforward classification of political parties based on their recent electoral success. This act will take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
2593: 17-1-2