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S 2490Elections & Voting

Elections - Registration of Voters

This bill allows people to automatically register to vote when applying for state hunting or fishing licenses.

Held for study
Population
Affected
35
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 6, 2026Committee Senate Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This legislation establishes a system for automatic voter registration through the Department of Environmental Management. When an individual applies for or renews a hunting or fishing license, they will automatically be registered to vote or have their voter registration address updated, unless they specifically decline (opt-out). The bill mandates that the Department transmit voter data electronically to the central voter registration system. Additionally, it allows other state agencies that verify citizenship and age to implement similar automatic registration procedures. The system becomes active 90 days after the Department certifies its computer systems are compatible.

For younger readers

When people go to buy a license to hunt or fish, the state workers will help them sign up to vote at the same time. The computer will send their name and address to the people who run elections automatically. If the person does not want to sign up to vote, they can say "no." This law makes it easier for people to get ready to vote. It also allows other government offices to do the same thing in the future if they have the right information to prove who the person is.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Hunters and AnglersDepartment of Environmental ManagementSecretary of StateLocal Boards of CanvassersUnregistered Voters
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Expands access to democracy by removing bureaucratic barriers to voter registration, ensuring more eligible citizens are added to the voter rolls automatically.
  • Includes a provision allowing other state agencies to adopt automatic voter registration in the future, paving the way for a more comprehensive, statewide automatic registration system.
  • Protects individuals from legal liability if they are accidentally registered to vote through this system despite being ineligible, preventing the criminalization of administrative errors.
  • Prioritizes a demographic (hunters and anglers) that may statistically lean conservative, potentially altering the electorate composition before broader automatic registration is implemented.
  • Diverts resources and staff attention within the Department of Environmental Management away from environmental protection efforts to handle administrative election duties.
  • Creates potential privacy concerns regarding the sharing of personal data between the environmental department and election officials, which might worry civil liberties advocates.
For Conservatives
  • Streamlines the voting process specifically for hunters and anglers, a demographic that frequently aligns with traditional values and conservative principles.
  • Maintains strict adherence to the rule of law by explicitly requiring applicants to certify their United States citizenship before registration data is transmitted.
  • Increases government efficiency by combining two administrative processes (licensing and registration) into a single transaction, potentially saving time for citizens.
  • Expands the "nanny state" by making voter registration the default action rather than an affirmative, personal choice, reducing individual initiative.
  • Increases the risk of ineligible voters, such as non-citizens, being added to the voter rolls due to administrative errors or lack of rigorous verification at the point of sale.
  • Creates a government database link between gun ownership (implied by hunting licenses) and voter registration, raising concerns about privacy and government tracking of gun owners.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 69 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 17-9.1 of the General Laws entitled "Registration of Voters" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 17-9.1-7.1. Department of environmental management -- Registration to vote.

(a) Every person applying for a hunting or fishing license or a renewal of either of those licenses and who is or may be by the next general election qualified to vote, shall be registered to vote, or if previously registered, be afforded the opportunity to change their address for voting purposes.

(b) The application to register to vote shall be offered simultaneously with the application for a hunting or fishing license or a license renewal. Department of environmental management employees shall provide to applicants for hunting and fishing licenses or their renewal, the same level of assistance and instruction with respect to the application to register to vote, as is provided with respect to the application for hunting and fishing licenses, or renewal of either of those licenses; provided, that one signature may be sufficient on the application for the hunting or fishing license, or renewal of either of those licenses and the application to register to vote. The applicant shall be afforded the opportunity to decline to register to vote. If previously registered, the applicant shall be afforded the opportunity to change the applicant's address for voting purposes. In order to protect the privacy of those who decline to register to vote for any reason, the failure of an applicant to qualify for a hunting or fishing license may not be used for any purposes, other than to determine the person’s voter registration status. (c)(1) The voter registration application shall contain the registrant’s name, residence address, mailing address if different from residence address, date of birth, and registrant’s signature and date of affixation of signature, and may include any other information, certifications, and declarations, including those made under the penalty of perjury, that may be required by the state board of elections in order to administer a single and unified system of voter registration, in accordance with applicable state and federal laws, that enable duly registered voters to vote in all elections in their respective voting districts including, elections for federal officers. The voter registration application shall also include, in print identical to that used in the attestation portion of the form, the following:

(i) The penalties provided by law for submitting a false voter registration;

(ii) A statement that, if the applicant declines to register to vote, the applicant's decision shall remain confidential and be used only for voter registration purposes; and

(iii) A statement that, if the applicant does register to vote, information regarding purchase of a hunting or fishing license and the location where the license was required shall remain confidential, to be used only for voter registration purposes.

(2) It shall be the responsibility of the department of environmental management to print and to have available at all times a sufficient number of voter registration forms necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

(d) The completed voter registration application shall be transmitted by the department of environmental management to the central voter registration system, mandated pursuant to § 17-6- 1.2 not later than the next business day after the date of acceptance by the department of environmental management. Transmission shall be made by electronic means, as prescribed by the secretary of state, and shall be in an electronic form, compatible with the voter registration system maintained by the secretary of state.

(e) Any person who has fully and correctly completed an application to register to vote, while purchasing a hunting or fishing license, shall be presumed to be registered as of the date of the acceptance of the registration by the department of environmental management, subject to verification of the registration by the local board, as provided in § 17-9.1-25.

(f) Pursuant to § 17-9.1-11, the department of environmental management shall not transmit the voter registration of any applicant, who fails to certify that they are a citizen of the United States.

(g) If a person who is ineligible to vote becomes registered to vote pursuant to this section, that person’s registration shall be presumed to be deemed officially authorized and not be deemed attributable to or the fault of that person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, anyone who knowingly and willfully provides false information pursuant to this section, shall be subject to prosecution under § 17-9.1-12.

(h) The state board of elections shall have the authority to adopt regulations to implement and administer the provisions of this section, including all registrations, completed in conjunction with the purchase of a hunting or fishing license. (i)(1) In accordance with Section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, 52 U.S.C. § 20506, other applicable state government agencies that the secretary verifies already collect documents that would provide proof of eligibility, including age, citizenship, and residence address, may follow the procedures for automatic voter registration enumerated for the department of environmental management, as described in subsections (b) through (d) of this section.

(2) Any additional agencies that are designated for automatic voter registration shall follow the rules and protocols established in this section for the department of environmental management.

(j) Effective date. The provisions of this section shall take effect ninety (90) days after the director of the department of environmental management certifies in writing to the general assembly, that the department of environmental management's computer system is capable of meeting the requirements set forth in this chapter. The director of the department of environmental management shall consult with the secretary of state prior to making this determination about the computer system.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.