Rhode Island § 17-20-14 § 17-20-14. Voting from hospitals, convalescent homes, nursing homes, rest homes or similar institutions, public or private, within the State of Rhode Island — Penalty for interference.

Rhode Island Statutes

§ 17-20-14 — § 17-20-14. Voting from hospitals, convalescent homes, nursing homes, rest homes or similar institutions, public or private, within the State of Rhode Island — Penalty for interference.

Rhode Island § 17-20-14

Title 17Elections

Ch. 17-20Mail Ballots

This text of Rhode Island § 17-20-14 (§ 17-20-14. Voting from hospitals, convalescent homes, nursing homes, rest homes or similar institutions, public or private, within the State of Rhode Island — Penalty for interference.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-20-14 (2026).

Text

§ 17-20-14. Voting from hospitals, convalescent homes, nursing homes, rest homes or similar institutions,
               public or private, within the State of Rhode Island — Penalty for interference.
(a) The state board of elections shall appoint as many bipartisan pairs of supervisors
            as are necessary whose duty it shall be to attend each hospital, rest home, nursing
            home and convalescent home, or similar types of personal care facility in the state
            within twenty (20) days prior to the election. They shall supervise the casting of
            votes by persons using mail ballots at a place that preserves their secrecy and shall
            take acknowledgments, and jointly pro

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§ 17-20-14. Voting from hospitals, convalescent homes, nursing homes, rest homes or similar institutions, public or private, within the State of Rhode Island — Penalty for interference.

(a) The state board of elections shall appoint as many bipartisan pairs of supervisors as are necessary whose duty it shall be to attend each hospital, rest home, nursing home and convalescent home, or similar types of personal care facility in the state within twenty (20) days prior to the election. They shall supervise the casting of votes by persons using mail ballots at a place that preserves their secrecy and shall take acknowledgments, and jointly provide assistance, if requested, to assure proper marking, sealing, and mailing of ballots as voted. It shall be the duty of the person or persons in charge of hospitals, rest homes, nursing homes and convalescent homes, or similar types of personal care facility to allow the state supervisors to perform their duties as set forth in this section at all reasonable times. Every person who willfully hinders the state supervisors in performing their duties as set forth in this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(b) It shall be the responsibility of the state board of elections to provide all bipartisan pairs of supervisors with an official identification card. All bipartisan pairs of supervisors will be required to have in their possession their identification card when conducting official business.

(c) Any person who deliberately misrepresents themselves as an official of the board of elections, or who deceives, coerces, or interferes with a voter casting a ballot, shall be subject to prosecution under § 17-20-30.

Legislative History

P.L. 1978, ch. 258, § 2; P.L. 1982, ch. 163, § 1; P.L. 1989, ch. 500, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 314, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 459, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 190, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 217, § 1; P.L. 2022, ch. 45, § 5, effective June 7, 2022; P.L. 2022, ch. 46, § 5, effective June 7, 2022.