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H 7358Elections & Voting

Elections - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies

This bill requires the state to publish images of write-in votes online and count them if a candidate requests it.

Signed into law66 Yea0 Nay9 Not voting
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Jan 28, 2026Committee House State Government & Elections

Plain-English Summary

This legislation updates Rhode Island election laws concerning "irregular ballots," commonly known as write-in votes. It mandates that the state board of elections publish scanned images of all write-in votes on its website. Furthermore, the bill allows write-in candidates who have filed the necessary campaign finance reports to request a formal adjudication and count of their specific votes, regardless of the total number cast. It also requires local boards to adjudicate write-ins if the total number could mathematically impact the election's outcome.

For younger readers

When people vote, they usually pick names printed on the paper. Sometimes, they write in a new name. This is called a "write-in" vote. This new law says that the people in charge of elections must put pictures of these write-in votes on the internet for everyone to see. It also says that if a person running for office followed the rules about money, they can ask for their specific write-in votes to be counted officially, even if they didn't get very many votes.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
VotersWrite-in candidatesBoard of CanvassersState Board of ElectionsElection officials
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Increases election transparency and public trust by making images of write-in ballots accessible to all citizens online.
  • Empowers grassroots and independent candidates who often rely on write-in campaigns by ensuring their votes are officially adjudicated and recorded.
  • Modernizes the election verification process, potentially reducing the influence of established political machines by validating alternative choices.
  • Publishing images of handwritten ballots could inadvertently compromise voter privacy if handwriting is recognizable or unique marks are used.
  • Increases the administrative burden on election officials, potentially diverting time and resources away from voter outreach and education programs.
  • Could encourage frivolous or protest candidacies that distract from serious policy discussions by guaranteeing them official adjudication.
For Conservatives
  • Strengthens election integrity by creating a digital paper trail and allowing the public to audit write-in votes personally.
  • Protects the rights of political outsiders and challengers to the establishment by mandating their votes be counted if they follow campaign finance rules.
  • Ensures strict adherence to the rule of law by removing the discretion of election officials to ignore low-count write-in candidates.
  • Expands government bureaucracy and potential costs by requiring the maintenance of digital archives and new reporting procedures.
  • Raises potential privacy concerns regarding the government publishing personal handwriting samples on a public website.
  • May delay the finalization of election results due to the requirement to adjudicate specific contests upon request.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 26 additions · 5 deletions

SECTION 1. Section 17-19-31 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-19 entitled "Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies" is hereby amended to read as follows: 17-19-31. Irregular ballots. Ballots voted for any person whose name does not appear on the ballot as a nominated candidate for office are referred to in this section as “irregular ballots.” In voting for presidential electors, a voter may vote an irregular ticket made up of the names of persons in nomination by different parties; or partly of names of persons in nomination and partly of names of persons not in nomination; or wholly of names of persons not in nomination by any party. Scanned images of the computer ballot containing the irregular ballot shall be stored digitally on physical electronic media in the optical-scan precinct-count unit and published on the state board website. With that exception, no irregular ballot shall be voted for any person for any office whose name appears on the ballot as a nominated candidate for that office; any irregular ballot so voted shall not be counted. An irregular ballot must be cast in its appropriate place on the ballot, or it shall be void and not counted and no irregular ballots shall be counted at primaries; provided, that at any presidential primary, irregular ballots shall be counted for those persons whose names have been written in for the office of president. At the close of the polls, irregular ballots shall be packaged according to § 17-19-33 and shall be immediately delivered to the local board of canvassers. The local board shall receive the tape from the optical precinct-count unit containing printed images of each written name on the irregular ballots, or the physical electronic media containing images of the irregular ballots and record containing all write-in votes cast for all federal, state, and local races listed on the tape. If the total number of write-in votes cast, may affect the election outcome for a particular office, including whenever the total number of write-in ballots cast falls within the margins of a valid recount request for that office, the local board shall adjudicate each individual write-in vote cast for that office and report the total qualified write-in votes cast to the state board. The state board shall notify the applicable local board(s) when the total write-in votes cast in any contest, may affect the election outcome for any particular office. The local board shall notify the state board of the results through a procedure promulgated by the state board. A write-in candidate, who has filed required campaign finance reports with the state board, or who has neither accepted contributions, nor made aggregate expenditures in excess of the amounts for which a filing exemption would be available to other candidates under § 17-25-11(e), is entitled to an adjudication of the write-in votes cast in their contest, regardless of the total write-in votes cast in that contest, through a procedure promulgated by rules and regulations of the state board. The rules shall be promulgated in accordance with the rulemaking provisions of chapter 35 of title 42 ("administrative procedures"), notwithstanding the provisions of § 42-35-18(b)(7), except where urgently necessary to address a time sensitive issue.

SECTION 2. Section 17-22-7 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-22 entitled "Tabulation and Certification of Returns by State Board" is hereby amended to read as follows: 17-22-7. Books of record of votes — Contents.

(a) The board shall keep separate books of record of the votes cast for the different classes of officers which it is its duty to count, canvass, and tabulate, as follows:

(1) A book of record of votes cast for electors of president and vice-president;

(2) A book of record of votes cast for senators and representatives in congress;

(3) A book of record of votes cast for general officers; and

(4) A book of record of the votes cast for each class of officers that may by law subsequently be required to be counted, canvassed, and tabulated by the board.

(b) Each of the respective books shall contain:

(1) A record of the number of votes cast in each voting district for each candidate according to the counting, canvassing, and tabulating of the board;

(2) The number cast in each voting district for each candidate according to the certificates of the moderators or wardens and clerks;

(3) The total number cast for each candidate in each town and city according to the counting and to the certificates;

(4) The total number cast for each candidate in the state or congressional district, as the case may be, according to the counting and the certificates;

(5) A statement of which candidates are elected; and

(6) Any other pertinent facts that the board deems proper.

(c) The board shall also keep a book of record of the votes cast for and against any proposition of amendment of the Constitution and a book of record of the votes cast for and against all questions submitted to the electors of the state, with like detail as provided in this section in relation to votes cast for officers.

(d) Notwithstanding the above, the state board shall report publish on its website images of all write-in votes cast for each particular office, regardless of candidate eligibility and regardless of whether it may affect the outcome, and shall report all write-in votes adjudicated by the local board in accordance with § 17-19-31, received by persons, not otherwise qualifying to appear on the ballot and receiving less than five (5) votes in a race, as a composite total of all write-in votes cast for said office and shall also publish the overall total number of write-in votes cast for and with each particular office.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.