TITLE 17
Elections
CHAPTER 17-14
Nomination of Party and Independent Candidates
SECTION 17-14-1
§ 17-14-1 Declarations of candidacy.
During the last consecutive Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in June in the even
years and during the thirty-ninth (39th) and fortieth (40th) days preceding a
primary election for a special election, or for an election regularly scheduled
for a time other than the biennial general statewide election, each voter
desiring to be a candidate at the upcoming primary or an independent candidate
on final nomination papers shall, on a form that shall be provided by the
secretary of state, file a declaration of his or her candidacy not later than
four (4:00) p.m. of the last day for the filing with the secretary of state for
congressional and statewide general offices, or with the local board of the
place of the candidate's voting residence for general assembly, or state
committee or senatorial and representative district committee or with the
appropriate local board for local officers. The declaration shall be signed by
the candidate as his or her name appears on the voting list. The signature
shall be accepted as valid if it can be reasonably identified to be the name
and signature of the voter it purports to be. A variation of the voter's
signature by the insertion or omission of identifying titles or by the
substitution of initials for the first or middle names of both shall not in
itself be grounds for invalidation of the signature. The declaration shall also
include the following information:
(1) The candidate's name as it appears on the voting list,
subject to the same provisions as relate to the voter's signature on the
declaration;
(2) The address as it appears on the voting list, provided
that an address which is substantially the same as the address on the voting
list shall be valid;
(3) The party declaration if seeking to run in a party
primary;
(4) The office sought;
(5) The place and date of birth;
(6) The length of residence in the state and in the town or
city where he or she resides;
(7) A certification that he or she is neither serving a
sentence, including probation or parole, for which he or she was imprisoned
upon final conviction of a felony imposed on any date nor serving any sentence,
whether incarcerated or suspended, on probation or parole, upon final
conviction of a felony committed after November 5, 1986;
(8) A certification that he or she has not been lawfully
adjudicated to be non compos mentis, of unsound mind;
(9) In the case of candidates for party nomination, a
certification that he or she has not been a member of a political party other
than the declared party within ninety (90) days of the filing date; and
(10) If a person is a candidate for a state or local office,
a certification that the person has not within the preceding three (3) years
served any sentence, incarcerated or suspended, on probation or parole, for a
crime committed after November 5, 1986, upon a plea of nolo contendere or
guilty or upon a conviction of a felony or for a misdemeanor for which a
sentence of imprisonment for six (6) months or more, whether suspended or to be
served as imposed.
History of Section.
(P.L. 1947, ch. 1886, § 7; P.L. 1948, ch. 2100, § 1; P.L. 1950, ch.
2476, § 6; P.L. 1953, ch. 3202, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 17-14-1; P.L.
1958, ch. 18, § 1; P.L. 1961, ch. 70, § 3; P.L. 1974, ch. 36, §
1; P.L. 1978, ch. 271, § 1; P.L. 1981, ch. 372, § 2; P.L. 1983, ch.
58, § 1; P.L. 1987, ch. 293, § 2; P.L. 1987, ch. 389, § 6; P.L.
1989, ch. 389, § 1; P.L. 1989, ch. 439, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 152,
§ 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 153, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 395, § 1; P.L.
1991, ch. 194, § 2; P.L. 1991, ch. 277, § 2.)
