§ 17-9.1-16. Procedure on change of address — Fail-safe voting provisions.
(a) Change of address within the same city or town.
(1) A registered voter who has moved from a residence address within a voting district to another residence address within the same voting district and who has not notified the local board of the change of residence address thirty (30) days or more prior to the election shall be permitted to vote at the polling place designated for the voting district or at the local board upon completion of a written affirmation form which shall record the voter’s change of address within the voting district. The form may be completed by the voter at the polling place designated for the voting district and thereafter transmitted, after the close of the polls, to the local board or may be completed at the local board.
(2) Any registered voter who has moved his or her residence from one residence address to another residence address within the same city or town and who has not notified the local board of the change of residence address thirty (30) days or more prior to the election shall be permitted to vote as follows:
(i) A registered voter who has moved from a residence address in one voting district to a residence address in another voting district within the same city or town thirty (30) days or more preceding an election shall be permitted to vote a full ballot at the polling place of the new residence address or at the local board upon completion of an affirmation form which shall record the voter’s change of address. If the form is completed at the polling place, the form shall be forwarded to the local board after the close of the polls; or
(ii) Any registered voter who has moved less than thirty (30) days preceding an election from one address to another address within a different voting district within the same city or town shall be permitted to vote at the polling place of the former address or at the local board and is entitled to vote the full ballot for the old polling place upon completion of an affirmation form which shall record the voter’s change of address.
(3) Any registered voter to whom a confirmation mailing was sent by either the state board or a local board, based upon information other than change of address information received from or through the postal service, shall be placed on the inactive list of voters if the recipient of the confirmation mailing fails to return the related confirmation card. If the voter continues to reside in the same city or town and at the residence address currently recorded on the voter’s registration card or at a residence address within the same voting district, the voter shall be permitted to vote at the polling place for that residence address upon signing an affirmation form. If the voter has moved to a new residence address within the same city or town but within a different voting district the registered voter shall be permitted to vote a full ballot at the polling place of the new residence address or at the local board upon completion of an affirmation form which shall record the voter’s change of address.
(4) Any registered voter to whom a confirmation mailing was sent by either the state board or a local board, based upon change of address information provided by or through the postal service, shall not be placed on the inactive list even if the recipient of the confirmation mailing fails to return the related confirmation card. The registered voter shall be permitted to vote at the polling place of the new residence address or the local board without the requirement of signing an affirmation form. If the change of address information provided by or through the postal service was in error, the registered voter shall be permitted to vote at the polling place of his or her former address or at the local board upon signing the required affirmation form.
(b) Change of address from one city or town to another city or town.
(1) A voter who has moved his or her residence, as defined in § 17-1-3.1, from the address at which the voter is registered to another within a different city or town shall be required to register in the city or town to which the voter has moved; provided, that no person qualified to vote in any city or town in this state shall lose his or her right to vote in that city or town by reason of his or her removal to another city or town in this state during the thirty (30) days, less one day, next preceding an election or primary in the former city or town.
(2) That a voter who remains within the state, although he or she fails to register in the city or town to which the voter has moved within time to vote in the city or town, shall be permitted to vote by special paper ballot to be provided by the secretary of state upon application for it approved by the board of canvassers of the voter’s former city or town for federal and statewide elected officials only during the six (6) months, less one day, next preceding an election or primary.
(c) Persons erroneously excluded from certified voting list. Any voter finding that his or her name is not on the certified voting list of his or her city or town being used at any election may cast a provisional ballot in accordance with § 17-19-24.1.
History of Section.P.L. 1994, ch. 171, § 4; P.L. 2015, ch. 79, § 1; P.L. 2015, ch. 85, § 1.
Structure Rhode Island General Laws
Chapter 17-9.1 - Registration of Voters
Section 17-9.1-1. - Registration required to vote.
Section 17-9.1-2. - Duty of state board — Registration equipment — Forms.
Section 17-9.1-2.1. - Duplicate voter registration information.
Section 17-9.1-3. - Periods when boards receive registrations.
Section 17-9.1-4.1. - Registration drives at high schools.
Section 17-9.1-4.2. - Repealed.
Section 17-9.1-5. - Local registration agents.
Section 17-9.1-5.1. - Statewide registration agents.
Section 17-9.1-5.2. - Qualifications and jurisdiction of registration agents.
Section 17-9.1-6. - Form of registration cards — Confidentiality of place of registration.
Section 17-9.1-7. - Registration at the division of motor vehicles — Additional agencies.
Section 17-9.1-8. - Registration at designated agencies.
Section 17-9.1-9. - Registration by mail.
Section 17-9.1-9.1. - Shut-in voters, serviceperson’s dependents, or peace corps registrations.
Section 17-9.1-10. - Additional method of registering.
Section 17-9.1-11. - Certification of citizenship.
Section 17-9.1-12. - False certificates in registration.
Section 17-9.1-13. - Filing of registration cards — Transmittal to secretary of state.
Section 17-9.1-14. - Custody of registration cards.
Section 17-9.1-15. - Registration records public.
Section 17-9.1-16. - Procedure on change of address — Fail-safe voting provisions.
Section 17-9.1-17. - Reregistration — Notice to city or town of previous address.
Section 17-9.1-17.1. - Registration — Notice to jurisdiction of previous out-of-state address.
Section 17-9.1-18. - Change of name.
Section 17-9.1-19. - Single registration.
Section 17-9.1-20. - False affidavits.
Section 17-9.1-21. - Registration lists furnished to political parties.
Section 17-9.1-22. - Tampering with registration records.
Section 17-9.1-23. - Party designation.
Section 17-9.1-24. - Change of designation.
Section 17-9.1-26. - Confirmation process — Verification of the address of registered voter.
Section 17-9.1-27. - Periodic updating of voter registration records.
Section 17-9.1-28. - Procedure on challenge of registration.
Section 17-9.1-29. - Penalty for unsubstantiated challenge.
Section 17-9.1-30. - Appeal of ruling by board of canvassers.
Section 17-9.1-31. - Voter registration advisory board.
Section 17-9.1-32. - Private voter registration — State departments and agencies.