Skip to main content
S 2309Elections & Voting

Elections - Primaries for Election of Delegates to National Conventions and for Presidential Preference

Reduces signature requirements for convention delegates from 150 to 50 and adjusts filing deadlines closer to the primary election.

Signed into law69 Yea0 Nay6 Not voting
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Jan 23, 2026Committee Senate Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This legislation modifies the requirements for individuals seeking to become delegates to national political conventions. It significantly reduces the number of signatures required on nomination papers from 150 eligible voters down to 50. Additionally, the bill adjusts the timeline for the election process; it moves the deadline for submitting nomination papers to local boards from the 56th day to the 54th day before the presidential preference primary. It also changes the deadline for submitting candidate approval documentation to the Secretary of State from the 53rd day to the 50th day before the primary.

For younger readers

Every four years, political parties have big meetings to pick their person for President. People from Rhode Island go to these meetings to vote. These people are called "delegates." Before this law, if you wanted to be a delegate, you had to get 150 people to sign a paper saying you should run. This new law changes the rules so you only need 50 signatures. It also gives people a few extra days to turn in their paperwork. This makes it easier for regular people to try to become a delegate.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Delegate candidatesRegistered votersLocal boards of canvassersSecretary of StatePolitical parties
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Democratizes the electoral process by lowering barriers to entry, allowing working-class individuals and grassroots activists easier access to becoming delegates.
  • Increases political diversity by reducing the resource burden required to gather signatures, potentially leading to representation that better reflects the community.
  • Provides slightly more time for candidates to organize their filings, assisting those who do not have professional political staff or prior experience.
  • Does not address the significant financial barriers associated with traveling to and attending a national convention, which remains a hurdle for the poor.
  • Could potentially lead to a chaotic ballot with too many candidates, making it difficult for voters to identify delegates genuinely aligned with their values.
  • Focuses on a minor procedural change rather than implementing comprehensive electoral reforms like ranked-choice voting or public financing.
For Conservatives
  • Reduces bureaucratic red tape and government hurdles, making it easier for individuals to participate in the political process without excessive regulation.
  • Promotes free market-style competition within the political party structure by allowing more candidates to qualify for the ballot.
  • Empowers the individual citizen over the party establishment by lowering the threshold required to challenge the status quo.
  • Lowers the standards for entry, potentially allowing unserious or unqualified individuals to clutter the ballot and degrade the quality of the election.
  • Shortening the window for verification by moving deadlines closer to the election could strain administrative resources and lead to errors.
  • Changes long-standing election traditions and rules that served to ensure candidates had a demonstrated level of community support before running.

Votes

Loading votes...

Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 5 additions · 3 deletions

SECTION 1. Sections 17-12.1-6 and 17-12.1-7 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-12.1 entitled "Primaries for Election of Delegates to National Conventions and for Presidential Preference" are hereby amended to read as follows: 17-12.1-6. Number of signers required. The nomination papers of a candidate for delegate to a national convention shall be signed, in the aggregate, by at least one hundred fifty (150) fifty (50) eligible voters. 17-12.1-7. Checking and certification of nomination papers.

(a) Each nomination paper of a candidate for delegate shall be submitted on or before four o’clock (4:00) p.m. in the afternoon of the fifty-sixth (56th) fifty-fourth day before the presidential preference primary to the local board of the city or town where the signers appear to be voters, and the nomination papers shall be checked, processed, and certified to the secretary of state by the local boards before four o’clock (4:00) p.m. in the afternoon of the fifty-third (53rd) day before the presidential preference primary. In addition, each candidate for delegate to a national convention may, on or before four o’clock (4:00) p.m. in the afternoon of the fifty-third (53rd) fiftieth day before the presidential primary, submit to the secretary of state documentation from a candidate, as set forth in § 17-12.1-4, that he or she has the approval of the candidate for presidential nominee or approval from the steering/screening committee to name the candidates’ delegates to be identified with him or her. Names of delegates pledged to a presidential candidate who do not receive approval of the candidate for presidential nominee or approval from the steering/screening committee to name the candidates’ delegates to be identified with him/her, who are otherwise qualified, shall appear on the ballot in accordance with party rules.

(b) When nomination papers have been duly certified by the appropriate local boards of canvassers, they shall be conclusively presumed to be valid, unless written objections to them are made as to the eligibility of the candidate or the sufficiency of the nomination papers or the signatures on them. All objections shall be filed with the state board of elections by four o’clock (4:00) p.m. on the next business day after the last day fixed for local boards to file nomination papers with the secretary of state. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the secretary of state from disqualifying a candidate based on the determination of the secretary of state that the nomination papers or the signatures on them are invalid or insufficient.

(c) The decision of the state board shall be rendered not later than four o’clock (4:00) p.m. on the forty-seventh (47th) day before the presidential preference primary and shall immediately be certified by the state board to the secretary of state.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.