reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
RI Gen L § 17-19-37 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-37 - Tabulation of state returns - Certificate of election.

§ 17-19-37. Tabulation of state returns — Certificate of election.The state board shall proceed to tabulate the state 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) 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.History of Section.G.L. 1938, ch. 318, § 14; P.L. 1940, ch. 818, § 1; P.L. 1944, ch. 1525, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-33; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-37; P.L. 1958, ch. 18, § 1; P.L. 1996, ch. 277, § 12; P.L. 1996, ch. 298, § 12.
RI Gen L § 17-19-37.2 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-37.2 - Recount eligibility - Write-in candidates for public office.

§ 17-19-37.2. Recount eligibility — Write-in candidates for public office.(1) A write-in candidate for election to public office shall be eligible to request a recount of the votes cast in a race:(a) If, following the initial manual count of all irregular ballots, the write-in candidate shall have received a minimum of ten (10) votes or one percent (1%) of the votes cast in the race, whichever is greater; provided, however, that if no candidates appear on the ballot in said race and only write-in candidates receive votes, a write-in candidate shall be required to receive at least ten (10) votes in the race; and(b) The write-in candidate shall trail the winning candidate by less than the number of votes as may be required to qualify for a recount pursuant to subsection (1) or (2) of § 17-19-37.1, as is applicable.(2) A write-in candidate for public office who is eligible to request a recount pursuant to subsection (1) of this section may request a recount of the irregular ballots cast at each precinct by a manual recounting of said ballots. In addition, the state board may, upon its own motion, determine to manually re-feed the computer ballots cast at each precinct in the race into the optical scan voting equipment.The state board shall have the authority to adopt rules and regulations to implement and administer the provisions of this section.History of Section.P.L. 2004, ch. 264, § 2; P.L. 2004, ch. 483, § 2.
RI Gen L § 17-19-38 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-38 - Custody of optical scan precinct count units pending return to storage.

§ 17-19-38. Custody of optical scan precinct count units pending return to storage.After the close of the polls, the local board shall resume custody of the voting equipment until the voting equipment is removed by the state board or its designee. The local board shall take all necessary measures to prevent the voting equipment from being opened, tampered with, injured, or damaged.History of Section.P.L. 1935, ch. 2195, § 19; G.L. 1938, ch. 318, § 15; P.L. 1940, ch. 818, § 1; impl. am. P.L. 1947, ch. 1886, §§ 36, 39; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-35; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-38; P.L. 1958, ch. 18, § 1; P.L. 1996, ch. 277, § 12; P.L. 1996, ch. 298, § 12; P.L. 2006, ch. 192, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 313, § 1.
RI Gen L § 17-19-39 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-39 - Power to open voting equipment.

§ 17-19-39. Power to open voting equipment.The state board of elections shall have the right to open any and all voting equipment either before, during or after an election in the presence of the proper election officials of the city or town in which the election is held for the purpose of examining the voting equipment; provided, that no programmed memory cartridge shall be erased until after the expiration of ten (10) days from the election at which the voting equipment was used, unless said memory cartridge is required by the state board for the purpose of conducting recounts.History of Section.P.L. 1935, ch. 2195, § 19; G.L. 1938, ch. 318, § 15; P.L. 1940, ch. 818, § 1; impl. am. P.L. 1947, ch. 1886, §§ 36, 39; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-36; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-39; P.L. 1958, ch. 18, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 211, § 1; P.L. 1996, ch. 277, § 12; P.L. 1996, ch. 298, § 12; P.L. 2004, ch. 128, § 1; P.L. 2004, ch. 494, § 1.
RI Gen L § 17-19-39.1 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-39.1 - Voted ballot storage and security.

§ 17-19-39.1. Voted ballot storage and security.(a) Voted computer ballots that were counted at the state board shall be stored in containers by the state board until the expiration of twenty-two (22) months from the date of election and voted computer ballots that were voted and packaged at a local precinct or counted at the local board shall be held and stored in containers by the local board in accordance with the regulations promulgated by the state board until the expiration of twenty-two (22) months from the date of election. The voted ballots shall remain stored in the appropriate containers unless ordered to be opened by the state board or a court of law. The computer file containing ballot layout information and candidate totals shall be transferred to a disk and retained permanently.(b) Notwithstanding the requirements of this section, the state board shall have the authority to examine and inspect the voted ballots subsequent to the certification of an election.History of Section.P.L. 2004, ch. 128, § 2; P.L. 2004, ch. 494, § 2; P.L. 2013, ch. 501, § 97.
RI Gen L § 17-19-40 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-40 - Repealed.

§ 17-19-40. Repealed.History of Section.G.L. 1938, ch. 318, §§ 23, 24; P.L. 1940, ch. 818, § 1; G.L. 1956, ch. 318, § 24; P.L. 1956, ch. 3755, § 2; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-45; P.L. 1958, ch. 18, § 1; Repealed by P.L. 1996, ch. 277, § 17; P.L. 1996, ch. 298, § 17, effective January 1, 1997.
RI Gen L § 17-19-41 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-41 - Violations by public officers.

§ 17-19-41. Violations by public officers.Any public officer upon whom a duty is imposed by this chapter who willfully neglects to perform that duty, or who performs it in a way as to hinder the objects of this chapter, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.History of Section.P.L. 1935, ch. 2195, § 21; G.L. 1938, ch. 318, § 17; P.L. 1940, ch. 818, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-38; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-41; P.L. 1958, ch. 18, § 1; P.L. 1978, ch. 201, § 9.
RI Gen L § 17-19-42 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-42 - Tampering with voting equipment.

§ 17-19-42. Tampering with voting equipment.Any person, not being an election or primary officer or person upon whom a duty is imposed by this chapter, who, while any voting equipment is being made ready for an election or primary, or is in use during an election or primary, tampers with, disarranges, defaces, injures, or impairs the voting equipment in any manner, or mutilates, injures, destroys, or disarranges any computer ballot, or any other appliance used in connection with the voting equipment, shall be guilty of a felony.History of Section.P.L. 1935, ch. 2195, § 22; G.L. 1938, ch. 318, § 18; P.L. 1940, ch. 818, § 1; impl. am. P.L. 1947, ch. 1886, §§ 36, 39; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-39; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-42; P.L. 1958, ch. 18, § 1; P.L. 1978, ch. 201, § 9; P.L. 1996, ch. 277, § 12; P.L. 1996, ch. 298, § 12.
RI Gen L § 17-19-43 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-43 - Tampering with sample ballot.

§ 17-19-43. Tampering with sample ballot.Every person who willfully and without lawful authority destroys, secretes, removes, defaces, alters, tampers, or meddles with a sample ballot, shall be guilty of a felony.History of Section.G.L. 1938, ch. 318, § 18; P.L. 1952, ch. 2924, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-40; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-43; P.L. 1958, ch. 18, § 1; P.L. 1978, ch. 201, § 9.
RI Gen L § 17-19-44 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-44 - Officer tampering with voting equipment.

§ 17-19-44. Officer tampering with voting equipment.Any person having the custody of voting equipment under this chapter, or any election or primary officer, who, with intent to cause or permit any voting equipment to fail to correctly register all votes cast, tampers with, injures, or disarranges the voting equipment in any way, or any part of the voting equipment, or who causes or consents to the voting equipment being used for voting at any election or primary with knowledge of the fact that the voting equipment is not in order or not properly set and programmed so that it will correctly register all votes cast, or who, for the purpose of defrauding or deceiving any voter or of causing it to be doubtful for what candidates or question any vote is cast, or of causing it to appear upon the voting equipment that votes cast for one candidate or question were cast for another candidate or question, removes, changes, or mutilates any computer ballot or any part of any computer ballot, or does anything to defeat the will or intention of a voter in casting a lawful vote, shall be guilty of a felony.History of Section.P.L. 1935, ch. 2195, § 19; G.L. 1938, ch. 318, § 19; P.L. 1940, ch. 818, § 1; impl. am. P.L. 1947, ch. 1886, §§ 36, 39; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-41; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-44; P.L. 1958, ch. 18, § 1; P.L. 1978, ch. 201, § 9; P.L. 1996, ch. 277, § 12; P.L. 1996, ch. 298, § 12.
RI Gen L § 17-19-45 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-45 - Fraudulent election returns.

§ 17-19-45. Fraudulent election returns.Any election or primary officer who, at the close of the polls, purposely causes the vote registered by any optical scan precinct count unit or related voting equipment to be incorrectly recorded or returned as to any candidate, person, or question, or who knowingly consents to these things, or any of them, being done, shall be guilty of a felony.History of Section.P.L. 1935, ch. 2195, § 24; G.L. 1938, ch. 318, § 20; P.L. 1940, ch. 818, § 1; impl. am. P.L. 1947, ch. 1886, §§ 36, 39; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-42; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-45; P.L. 1958, ch. 18, § 1; P.L. 1978, ch. 201, § 9; P.L. 1996, ch. 277, § 12; P.L. 1996, ch. 298, § 12.
RI Gen L § 17-19-46 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-46 - False instructions as to marking a computer ballot and the operation of optical scan precinct count units.

§ 17-19-46. False instructions as to marking a computer ballot and the operation of optical scan precinct count units.Whoever, with intent to defraud a voter of his or her vote, or to cause a voter to lose his or her vote, gives in any way, or prints, writes, circulates, or causes to be written, printed, or circulated, any improper, false, misleading, or incorrect instructions or advice or suggestions of how to vote by computer ballot in conjunction with the optical scan precinct count unit, the following of which would cause any voter to lose his or her votes or would cause him or her to fail to register or record the votes on the optical scan precinct count unit for any candidate or question according to his or her choice, shall be guilty of a felony.History of Section.P.L. 1935, ch. 2195, § 25; G.L. 1938, ch. 318, § 21; P.L. 1940, ch. 818, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-43; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-46; P.L. 1958, ch. 18, § 1; P.L. 1978, ch. 201, § 9; P.L. 1996, ch. 277, § 12; P.L. 1996, ch. 298, § 12.
RI Gen L § 17-19-47 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-47 - Improper possession of voting equipment keys or duplicates.

§ 17-19-47. Improper possession of voting equipment keys or duplicates.Any unauthorized person who makes a duplicate of, or has in his or her possession, a key to any voting equipment used at any election, or any election officer who keeps one or more keys to the voting equipment and fails or refuses to return them immediately after the election to the officer charged by law with the duty of caring for the keys, and any custodian who keeps one or more of the keys after he or she has prepared the voting equipment for election and refuses to turn the keys over to the officer charged by law with the care of the keys, and any officer charged by law with the care of the keys who keeps the keys and refuses to deliver them over to the officer's successor in office, shall be guilty of a felony.History of Section.P.L. 1935, ch. 2195, § 26; G.L. 1938, ch. 318, § 22; P.L. 1940, ch. 818, § 1; impl. am. P.L. 1947, ch. 1886, §§ 36, 39; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-44; G.L. 1956, § 17-19-47; P.L. 1958, ch. 18, § 1; P.L. 1978, ch. 201, § 9; P.L. 1996, ch. 277, § 12; P.L. 1996, ch. 298, § 12.
RI Gen L § 17-19-48 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-48 - Posting of original voter registration records.

§ 17-19-48. Posting of original voter registration records.Following the return of the certified voting lists to the local boards, each board shall cause the original registration records to reflect the appropriate voting facts from the immediately preceding election and shall also post the appropriate voting facts set forth in the list of absentee voters furnished by the state board pursuant to the requirements of chapter 22 of this title following the counting, canvassing, and tabulation of votes cast pursuant to chapter 20 of this title. The state board, by regulation, shall provide direction to local boards in the recording of voting facts and information.History of Section.P.L. 1958, ch. 18, § 1; P.L. 1994, ch. 171, § 8.
RI Gen L § 17-19-49 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-49 - Political literature and influence.

§ 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. 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.History of Section.P.L. 1962, ch. 201, § 4.
RI Gen L § 17-19-50 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-50 - Candidates listing on ballot.

§ 17-19-50. Candidates listing on ballot.No candidate for any public office shall be permitted to have his or her name appear in more than one place on the ballot for the same office.History of Section.P.L. 1973, ch. 267, § 1.
RI Gen L § 17-19-51 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-51 - Priority for elderly voters.

§ 17-19-51. Priority for elderly voters.At each polling place, one voting booth shall be designated for priority use by electors over sixty-five (65) years of age. These electors, once they have complied with the requirements of § 17-19-24, shall, upon request, be permitted to vote immediately in the designated voting booth. Other voters below the age of sixty-five (65) years may use the designated voting booth when there are no voters above that age waiting to vote.History of Section.P.L. 1983, ch. 172, § 21; P.L. 1996, ch. 277, § 12; P.L. 1996, ch. 298, § 12.
RI Gen L § 17-19-52 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-52 - Priority for disabled voters.

§ 17-19-52. Priority for disabled voters.Whenever a voter appears at a polling place and that voter has: (1) an obvious medical disability which, in the opinion of the warden, would cause the voter to experience severe discomfort by standing in line, or (2) a certificate from a licensed physician or Christian Science practitioner attesting that the voter has a disability which makes his or her standing in line inadvisable, then that voter may be allowed a priority position for complying with requirements of § 17-19-24 and in each polling place one voting booth shall be designated for priority use by these electors. Other voters may use the voting booth when there are no disabled voters waiting to vote.History of Section.P.L. 1984, ch. 369, § 2; P.L. 1996, ch. 277, § 12; P.L. 1996, ch. 298, § 12.
RI Gen L § 17-19-53 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-53 - Voter accompanied by children within voting booth.

§ 17-19-53. Voter accompanied by children within voting booth.Nothing contained in the general laws of Rhode Island shall prevent a voter from being accompanied by a child or children who are under the age of eighteen (18) years while the voter is within the voting booth area, provided that the child or children are under the voter's care and supervision.History of Section.P.L. 1992, ch. 243, § 1; P.L. 2017, ch. 419, § 1.
RI Gen L § 17-19-54 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-19 - Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies|Section 17-19-54 - Bilingual voting material requirements.

§ 17-19-54. Bilingual voting material requirements.(a) Pursuant to Section 203 of the Federal Voting Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. 1973aa-la, a city or town shall be subject to the provisions of the bilingual voting materials requirement whenever the Director of the Census determines, based on census data, that:(1) More than five percent (5%) of the citizens of voting age of a city or town are members of a single language minority and are limited-English proficient; or(a) (2) (i) More than ten thousand (10,000) of the citizens of voting age of a city or town are members of a single language minority and are limited-English proficient; and(ii) The illiteracy rate of the citizens in the language minority as a group is higher than the national illiteracy rate.(b) Whenever a city or town subject to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section provides any registration or voting notices, forms, instructions, assistance, or other materials or information relating to the electoral process, including ballots, it shall provide them in the language of the applicable minority group as well as in the English language.(c) Whenever the state provides any registration or voting notices, forms, instructions, assistance, or other materials or information relating to the electoral process, including ballots, to a city or town subject to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, it shall provide them in the language of the applicable minority group as well as in the English language.(d) The provisions of this section shall apply to all ballots issued or required under the provisions of this chapter.History of Section.P.L. 2001, ch. 396, § 1.
RI Gen L § 17-20-1 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-20 - Mail Ballots|Section 17-20-1 - Voting by mail ballot.

§ 17-20-1. Voting by mail ballot.The electors of this state who, for any of the reasons set forth in § 17-20-2, being otherwise qualified to vote, are unable to vote in person, shall have the right to vote, in the manner and time provided by this chapter, in all general and special elections and primaries, including presidential primaries in this state for electors of president and vice-president of the United States, United States senators in congress, representatives in congress, general officers of the state, senators and representatives in the general assembly for the respective districts in which the elector is duly qualified to vote, and for any other officers whose names appear on the state ballot and for any city, town, ward, or district officers whose names appear on the respective city or town ballots in the ward or district of the city or town in which the elector is duly qualified to vote, and also to approve or reject any proposition of amendment to the Constitution or other propositions appearing on the state, city, or town ballot.History of Section.P.L. 1978, ch. 258, § 2.
RI Gen L § 17-20-1.1 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-20 - Mail Ballots|Section 17-20-1.1 - Declaration of policy.

§ 17-20-1.1. Declaration of policy.Those electors who are unable to vote in person at the polls for the reasons set forth in § 17-20-2 are entitled to vote in a manner which reasonably guarantees the secrecy of their ballots. The procedures set forth in this chapter are designed to promote the effective exercise of their rights while safeguarding those voters who utilize the mail ballot process from harassment, intimidation, and invasion of privacy. The procedures are intended to prevent misuse of the electoral system by persons who are not eligible to vote by mail ballot. The provisions of this chapter shall be interpreted to effectuate the policies set forth in this section.History of Section.P.L. 1983, ch. 172, § 7.
RI Gen L § 17-20-2 (2021)
2021 Rhode Island General Laws|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 17-20 - Mail Ballots|Section 17-20-2 - Eligibility for mail ballots.

§ 17-20-2. Eligibility for mail ballots.Any otherwise qualified elector may vote by mail ballot in the following circumstances:(1) An elector, within the State of Rhode Island who is incapacitated to the extent that it would be an undue hardship to vote at the polls because of illness, or mental or physical disability, blindness, or serious impairment of mobility;(2) An elector who is confined in any hospital, convalescent home, nursing home, rest home, or similar institution, public or private, within the State of Rhode Island;(3) An elector who will be temporarily absent from the state because of employment or service intimately connected with military operations or who is a spouse or legal dependent residing with that person, or a United States citizen that will be outside of the United States;(4) An elector who may not be able to vote at his or her polling place in his or her city or town on the day of the election.History of Section.P.L. 1978, ch. 258, § 2; P.L. 1980, ch. 407, § 1; P.L. 1983, ch. 172, § 8; P.L. 1984, ch. 231, § 1; P.L. 1985, ch. 161, § 1; P.L. 1986, ch. 316, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 227, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 205, § 1; P.L. 1999, ch. 83, § 41; P.L. 1999, ch. 130, § 41; P.L. 2001, ch. 56, § 1; P.L. 2001, ch. 121, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 190, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 217, § 1.