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H 7782Elections & Voting

Elections - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies

This bill extends the deadline for candidates to request an election recount from seven days to nine days.

Signed into law72 Yea0 Nay3 Not voting
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 12, 2026Committee House State Government & Elections

Plain-English Summary

This legislation updates Rhode Island election laws regarding the tabulation of votes and the timeline for requesting recounts. Specifically, it clarifies that the state board is responsible for tabulating returns for both state and federal elections. Most significantly, it extends the deadline for a candidate to petition the board for a vote recount. Currently, a candidate has seven days after the results are declared to request a recount; this bill changes that window to nine days.

For younger readers

When people vote to choose a leader, the votes are counted to see who won. Sometimes, if the numbers are very close, a person running for the job might want the votes counted again to be sure. This is called a recount. Right now, a person has one week (seven days) to ask for a recount after the winner is announced. This new rule gives them two extra days, making it nine days total, to decide. It also makes sure these rules apply to big elections for the whole country, not just the state.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Political CandidatesState Board of ElectionsVotersElection OfficialsCampaign Legal Teams
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Enhances the democratic process by providing candidates, including those with fewer resources, more time to analyze results and identify potential irregularities before requesting a recount.
  • Promotes accuracy and fairness in elections by ensuring that federal election returns are explicitly included in the state's tabulation and certification mandates.
  • Strengthens institutional transparency by creating a more reasonable timeframe for challenges, ensuring that the final certified results truly reflect the will of the voters.
  • Could slightly delay the final certification of election results, potentially prolonging uncertainty for the public and incoming officials.
  • Might allow candidates who have clearly lost to drag out the process unnecessarily by utilizing the extended deadline for political theater rather than legitimate concerns.
  • Represents a minor administrative adjustment rather than addressing more pressing systemic issues regarding voter access or disenfranchisement.
For Conservatives
  • Strengthens election integrity by allowing a more adequate timeframe for candidates to investigate potential errors or fraud before filing for a recount.
  • Ensures strict adherence to the rule of law by codifying the state board's responsibility to tabulate federal returns alongside state returns.
  • Protects the rights of candidates to ensure accurate counts, reducing the likelihood of incorrect results being certified due to rushed timelines.
  • Extends the period of post-election uncertainty, potentially delaying the ability of the government to move forward with certified winners.
  • Could be viewed as unnecessary bureaucratic tinkering with an established seven-day deadline that was already sufficient for candidates to make decisions.
  • May encourage sore losers to delay the inevitable transition of power by using the extra days to stall the certification process.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 5 additions · 2 deletions

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 17-19-37 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-19 entitled "Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies" is hereby amended to read as follows: 17-19-37. Tabulation of state returns — Certificate of election. Tabulation of state and federal returns – Certificate of election. The state board shall proceed to tabulate the state and federal election returns and declare the results as provided in chapter 22 of this title, and any candidate at the election challenging the result as applied to him or her may petition the board within seven (7) nine (9) days after the declaration to conduct a recount of the votes cast in the candidate’s election according to the provisions set forth in § 17-19-37.1. After the completion of the recount, and as soon as it can do so consistent with its other duties, the state board shall issue a certificate of election to the state and federal candidate it determines to have been elected.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.