§ 17-14-11. Checking and certification of nomination papers — Challenge.
(a) Each nomination paper for party and independent candidates shall be submitted before
four o'clock (4:00) p.m. on the sixtieth (60th) day before the primary to the local
board of the city or town where the signers appear to be voters or, in the case of
special elections for state and local office, on the twenty-eighth (28th) day before
the primary, or in the case of special elections for federal office, on the fifty-third
(53rd) day before the primary. Nomination papers for independent presidential candidates
and presidential candidates of political parties, other than those defined in § 17-1-2(9), shall be filed not later than sixty (60) days prior to the general election. Each
local board shall immediately proceed to check signatures on each nomination paper
filed with it against the voting list as last canvassed or published according to
law.
(b) The local boards shall certify a sufficient number of names appearing on the nomination
papers that are in conformity with the requirements of § 17-14-8 to qualify the candidate for a position on the ballot, and after considering any
challenge under this section and, if necessary, certifying any additional valid names,
shall immediately file nomination papers for statewide office, general assembly, and
state and district committee candidates with the secretary of state; provided, that
nomination papers for local candidates shall be retained by the local board.
(c) If any candidate or an individual presenting written authorization from the candidate,
or the chairperson of any party committee questions the validity or authenticity of
any signature on the nomination paper, the local board shall immediately and summarily
decide the question, and for this purpose, shall have the same powers as are conferred
upon the board by the provisions of § 17-14-14.
(d) If any challenged signature is found to be invalid, for any reason in law, or forged,
then the signature shall not be counted.
(e) The local canvassing clerk shall immediately notify the state board in writing and
via electronic mail if the local canvassing clerk suspects a consistent pattern of
forgery as prescribed by § 17-23-17 on the nomination papers of a local, state, or federal candidate.
(1) The state board, upon notification of allegations of any consistent pattern of suspected
forged signatures on nomination papers of a local, state, or federal candidate, shall
review the allegations and, if determined to be with reasonable cause, shall, as soon
as feasible notify all corresponding local canvassing clerks of the allegations of
suspected forgery.
(2) The state board, if it deems necessary, shall order a review of all nomination papers
of a local, state, or federal candidate whose nomination papers include a consistent
pattern of suspected forged signatures as prescribed in this subsection. The state
board, in consultation with the Elections Committee of the Rhode Island Town and City
Clerks' Association, shall promulgate rules and regulations on the process to review
nomination papers of a local, state, or federal candidate whose nomination papers
include a consistent pattern of suspected forged signatures as prescribed in this
subsection.
(3) The state board shall explicitly determine and deliver, in writing and via electronic
mail to the secretary of state, the findings of the review of the local, state, or
federal candidate whose nomination papers include suspected forged signatures as prescribed
in this subsection, and whether the determination affects a candidate's qualification
for a position on the ballot.