Section 17-9.1-23 - Party designation(a) Whenever any person registers to vote, that person may designate their party affiliation, or that person may designate that they are not affiliated with any political party. The information shall be recorded on a form prescribed by the state board of elections.(b) Any person who is already registered to vote and wishes to designate their party affiliation may do so by submitting to that person's local board of canvassers a form provided by the state board designating their party affiliation and certifying to the fact on the form furnished for that purpose.(c) Whenever an unaffiliated voter participates in a party primary, their party affiliation shall remain unaffiliated. For purposes of this section, "participating in a party primary" includes casting a ballot by mail, early in-person, or on election day, or by signing a precinct, mail, or provisional ballot application.
(d) A form prescribed by the state board of elections for the purpose of disaffiliating from a political party shall be provided at polling locations and early voting locations.(e) No person shall be affiliated with any political party solely because of that person's circulation or signing of nomination papers of a candidate to be voted for in any primary.(f) Election officials shall be authorized to inform voters and post notices at polling locations, early voting locations, and to voters casting a ballot by mail that whenever an unaffiliated voter participates in a party primary, their party affiliation shall remain unaffiliated, and that no action or form is necessary to preserve a voter's existing unaffiliated status.R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-9.1-23
Amended by 2024 Pub. Laws, ch. 323,§ 1, eff. 6/1/2024.Amended by 2024 Pub. Laws, ch. 322,§ 1, eff. 6/1/2024.Amended by 2019 Pub. Laws, ch. 141, § 1, eff. 7/8/2019.Amended by 2019 Pub. Laws, ch. 109, § 1, eff. 7/8/2019. P.L. 1994 , ch. 171, § 4.