§ 17-9.1-27. Periodic updating of voter registration records.
(a) Not less than four (4) times within a calendar year, the secretary of state shall update the central voter register using the United States Postal Service National Change of Address (NCOA) Program. The office of the secretary of state shall be responsible for obtaining the NCOA data and providing each local board of canvassers with their data; provided, that the updating shall be performed by each local board. The NCOA list of address changes shall be compared by the local board with lists of registered voters, and if address changes are detected for any voter, the local board shall institute the confirmation process described in § 17-9.1-26.
(b) Each local board of canvassers in each city or town shall send annually, a notice prescribed by the secretary of state and marked “Do Not Forward — Return if Undeliverable”, to every active registered voter who has not voted in the past five (5) calendar years and has not otherwise communicated with the board during that period of time, advising them of their current polling place and voting eligibility, and informing them that mail that is returned as undeliverable will initiate the confirmation process described in § 17-9.1-26; provided, however, that the local boards shall not be obligated to send such notice if the state or federal government fails to appropriate the necessary funds.
(c) The secretary of state shall promulgate regulations for the uniform implementation of this section, consistent with all applicable federal voting laws.
(d) Beginning ninety (90) days before any state election and through certification of that election, local boards shall cease all list maintenance procedures required by this section.
History of Section.P.L. 1994, ch. 171, § 4; P.L. 2001, ch. 243, § 1; P.L. 2001, ch. 400, § 1; P.L. 2010, ch. 176, § 1; P.L. 2010, ch. 185, § 1; P.L. 2022, ch. 45, § 2, effective June 7, 2022; P.L. 2022, ch. 46, § 2, effective June 7, 2022.
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 - Repealed.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.