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H 7572Elections & Voting

Elections - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies

This bill extends the 50-foot ban on political campaigning near polling places to include early voting locations.

Introduced65 Yea0 Nay10 Not voting
Population
Affected
25
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 6, 2026Committee House State Government & Elections

Plain-English Summary

This legislation updates existing election laws to clarify rules regarding campaigning near polling places. Currently, Rhode Island law prohibits the distribution of political literature or attempts to influence voters within 50 feet of a voting location's entrance. This bill explicitly states that this 50-foot "buffer zone" applies to early voting locations in addition to standard election day polling places. The aim is to ensure that the rules governing political activity and voter access remain consistent regardless of when a voter chooses to cast their ballot.

For younger readers

When people go to vote, there are rules about how close other people can stand to the building to hold signs or hand out papers. Right now, the rule says they must stay 50 feet away on election day. This new law makes sure everyone knows this rule also applies to "early voting," which is when people vote on days before the main election day. It helps make sure the voting area is quiet and fair, no matter which day people choose to vote.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
VotersElection OfficialsPolitical CandidatesCampaign VolunteersPolitical Activists
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Protects the voting process from intimidation and harassment, ensuring that vulnerable populations feel safe accessing early voting locations.
  • Standardizes election rules across all voting periods, promoting fairness and reducing confusion for voters trying to exercise their civic duty.
  • Reinforces the concept of the polling place as a neutral sanctuary for democracy, free from aggressive political pressure.
  • Restricts the physical space available for grassroots organizers and activists to engage with the public during the expanded early voting window.
  • Could potentially be enforced selectively by election officials to disadvantage specific community groups or causes.
  • Does not address more pressing systemic barriers to voting, functioning primarily as a regulation of speech rather than an expansion of rights.
For Conservatives
  • Promotes law and order at polling places by establishing clear boundaries for behavior during the early voting period.
  • Protects the integrity of the ballot box by minimizing the potential for electioneering and undue influence near the entrance.
  • Ensures consistent application of the law, preventing chaos and disputes between rival political factions at early voting sites.
  • Imposes restrictions on First Amendment rights regarding free speech and political assembly in public spaces.
  • Expands government regulation over political activities, limiting where candidates and volunteers can campaign.
  • Could potentially be used to hinder legitimate poll watching or campaign information distribution efforts near building entrances.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 3 additions

SECTION 1. Section 17-19-49 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-19 entitled "Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies" is hereby amended to read as follows: 17-19-49. Political literature and influence. No poster, paper, circular, or other document designed or tending to aid, injure, or defeat any candidate for public office or any political party on any question submitted to the voters shall be distributed or displayed within the voting place or within fifty (50) feet of the entrance or entrances to the building in which voting is conducted at any primary or election, including both early voting and election day voting. Neither shall any election official display on his or her person within the voting place any political party button, badge, or other device tending to aid, injure, or defeat the candidacy of any person for public office or any question submitted to the voters or to intimidate or influence the voters.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.