§ 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.