This bill amends the General Laws in Chapter 17-11 entitled "Voting Districts and Officials" and Chapter 17-15 entitled "Primary Elections." The bill requires the local board of any city or town to divide or redivide the city or town, or any representative district in the city or town, into voting districts based on geographical boundaries. The board must ensure that each voting district serves no more than 3,000 eligible registered voters and that no voting district comprises parts of two or more wards. The bill also establishes uniform standards for polling place location, taking into account factors such as accessibility to historically disenfranchised communities, proximity to voters, accessibility by public transportation, equitable distribution of polling places, and maximizing voter participation.

Additionally, the bill allows the board of canvassers of any city or town to combine two or more voting districts for special elections, with the approval of the board of elections. The combination of districts must be advertised in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or town. The bill also allows local boards to combine voting districts for primary, special primary, or presidential preference primary elections, with the approval of the board of elections. The bill takes effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
613  SUB A: 17-15-5
613: 17-11-1.1, 17-15-5