§ 17-9.1-8. Registration at designated agencies.
(a) Every person who is or may be by the next general election qualified to vote may register
to vote when being discharged from incarceration or when applying for services or
assistance at any of the following offices:
(1) Any office in the state that provides public assistance;
(2) At or through any offices in the state that provide state-funded programs primarily
engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities;
(3) At armed forces recruitment offices, subject to procedures developed by the state
board in cooperation with the United States Department of Defense;
(4) At or through the department of corrections; and
(5) At any other agencies within the state that shall be determined by the state board.
(b) Voter registration agencies designated by the state board may include, but are not
limited to:
(1) State or local government offices such as public libraries, public schools, offices
of city and towns clerks (including marriage license bureaus), fishing and hunting
license bureaus, government revenue offices, unemployment compensation offices, and
offices not described in subsection (a)(2) of this section that provide services to
persons with disabilities; and
(2) Federal and nongovernmental offices, with the agreement of those offices.
(c)(1) Persons must be provided this opportunity to register to vote not only at the time
of their original application for services, but also when filing any recertification,
renewal, or for a change of address relating to those services. Agencies providing
voter registration assistance must offer the same degree of assistance to individuals
in completing a voter registration form as they offer to individuals in completing
the agency's own forms, unless the applicant refuses the assistance.
(2) Any person who provides voter registration assistance services in an agency is prohibited
from:
(i) Seeking to influence an applicant's party preference or party registration;
(ii) Displaying any political preference or party allegiance;
(iii) Making any statement or taking any action the purpose or effect of which is to discourage
the applicant from registering to vote; or
(iv) Making any statement or taking any action the purpose or effect of which is to lead
the applicant to believe that a decision whether or not to register has any bearing
on the availability of services or benefits or on discharge from incarceration.
(d)(1) Those who decline to register to vote must do so in writing or by failing to check
a box on a form containing the question: "If you are not registered to vote where
you live now, would you like to apply to register to vote here today? yes or no.�
(2) The declination may be included in the agency application for services or on a separate
form provided by the agency, subject to rules and regulations to be adopted by the
state board.
(3) No information regarding a person's declination to register to vote may be used for
any purpose other than voter registration. If an individual does register to vote,
the particular agency at which the applicant submits a voter registration application
may not be publicly disclosed.
(4) The declination form to be used at agencies providing public or publicly funded assistance
shall also contain the following statements and information:
(i) "Applying to register or declining to register to vote will not affect the amount
of assistance that you will be provided by this agency�; or, for those forms made
available by the department of corrections: "Applying to register or declining to
register to vote will not affect your discharge from incarceration�;
(ii) "If you do not check either box, you will be considered to have decided not to register
to vote at this time.� (with "yes� and "no� boxes being provided);
(iii) "If you would like help filling out the voter registration application form, we will
help you. The decision whether to seek or accept help is yours. You may fill out the
application form in private�;
(iv) "If you believe that someone has interfered with your right to register or to decline
to register to vote, your right to privacy in deciding whether to register or in applying
to register to vote, or your right to choose your own political party or other political
preference, you may file a complaint with the State Board of Elections, 2000 Plainfield
Pike, Cranston, Rhode Island 02921, (401) 222-2345�;
(v) A statement that if the applicant declines to register to vote, his or her decision
will remain confidential and be used only for voter registration purposes; and
(vi) A statement that if the applicant does register to vote, information regarding the
agency to which the application was submitted will remain confidential, to be used
only for voter registration purposes.
(e)(1) The registration form to be provided in these agencies shall be the mail registration
form adopted by the state board. Unless the registrant refuses to permit the agency
to transmit the form to the state board or local board where the applicant resides,
the agency shall transmit the completed registration form to the state board or any
local board. However, if the registrant refuses, the registrant may either mail the
form to the state board or any local board or may provide for delivery of the form
to the state board or any local board either in person or through a third party. It
shall be the responsibility of all state or state-funded agencies to have available
at all times a sufficient number of voter registration forms in order to carry out
the provisions of this section.
(2) Unless the applicant refuses to permit the agency to transmit the completed voter
registration form to the state board or to a local board, the agency shall be required
to transmit the registration form within ten (10) days after acceptance, or if accepted
on the last day or within five (5) days before the last day to register for an election,
within five (5) days of acceptance.
(f) The department of corrections and each agency designated by the board to register
persons to vote when applying for services or assistance shall report to the state
board:
(1) The number of persons applying for services and assistance or the number of persons
discharged from incarceration following felony convictions who are eligible to vote;
(2) The number of persons who have been registered to vote at that agency;
(3) The number of forms that have been transmitted by the agency to the state or local
board; and
(4) The number of persons who have declined to register to vote at that agency. Reports
to the state board by each designated agency shall be on a quarterly basis.
(g) Any person who has fully and correctly completed an application to register to vote
at a designated agency is presumed to be registered as of the date of the acceptance
of the registration by the designated agency, subject to verification of the registration
by the state board or any local board as provided in § 17-9.1-25.
(h) If a voter registration agency which is primarily engaged in providing services to
persons with disabilities provides those services at the person's home, the agency
shall provide the voter registration services authorized by this section at the person's
home.
(i) The state board of elections shall have the authority to adopt regulations to implement
and administer the provisions of this section, including all registrations taken at
designated agencies.
(j) In cases where the findings required by § 17-6-1.2(a)(4) have been made, transmission shall be made by electronic means as prescribed by the
secretary of state, and shall be in an electronic form compatible with the voter registration
system maintained by the secretary of state.