Bill
HB 8282
Rhode Island expands candidate nominations by adding an online portal for electronic signatures, while keeping existing in-person procedures and safeguards.
AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS — NOMINATION OF PARTY AND INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES
Date introduced: March 11, 2026
Committee: House State Government & Elections
Sponsors: Voas; Alzate; Stewart; Giraldo; Shanley; Edwards; Bennett; Dawson; Caldwell; Morales (with co-sponsors listed)
Effective date: January 1, 2027
Purpose and intent
- The bill modernizes and expands the nomination process for party and independent candidates by authorizing an online nomination paper portal.
- It aims to streamline and broaden access to nominating signatures while preserving existing in-person procedures and safeguards against forgery and invalid signatures.
Key provisions and changes
1) General framework for nomination papers (amendments to 17-14-4, 17-14-7, 17-14-8, 17-14-11, 17-14-12, 17-14-13)
- Preparation and combination of nomination papers
- After declarations of candidacy, the secretary of state (statewide) or local boards (general assembly and local offices) will prepare nomination papers within 2 business days after the final endorsements filing date.
- Papers for general assembly and local offices can combine endorsements for endorsed candidates on the same papers; unendorsed candidates’ papers cannot be combined across offices.
- Providence voters have nomination papers furnished by the secretary of state; all nomination papers carry appropriate marks to indicate party status, endorsements, and independents.
- Duplication and issuance
- Candidates may duplicate nomination papers at their expense.
- Papers are personally issued to the candidate or authorized representative.
2) Online nomination paper portal (new § 17-14-4.2; related references in § 17-14-4)
- Establishment and operation
- The secretary of state may establish an online portal allowing voters to electronically sign nomination papers for any office the voter may vote for in the general election.
- An electronic signature is treated as an in-person signature for all purposes.
- Accessibility and verification
- Voters must provide first name, last name, date of birth, and ZIP code; verify identity with a Rhode Island driver’s license or state ID number; select candidate name; and affirm truthfulness under penalty of perjury.
- Portal must comply with WCAG 2.0 AA and ADA requirements to ensure accessibility for voters with disabilities.
- Implementation timeline
- Online portal may be fully implemented starting with the 2028 presidential preference primary and subsequent elections; may be used for special elections before then at the Secretary of State’s discretion.
- Funding
- No state funds or appropriations shall be used to establish the portal; federal funds or grant funding may be used instead.
- Administration and regulations
- The Secretary of State may promulgate rules to establish, maintain, and implement the portal.
3) Signature requirements (amendments to § 17-14-7)
- Signatory thresholds (aggregate signatures required)
- U.S. Senate or Governor (party or independent): currently at least 1,000 signatures; a 2020 exception allowed 500 for the national-level offices.
- Representative in Congress: 500 (250 for the 2020 election exception).
- General state offices (excluding Governor): 500.
- State Senator: 100 per district.
- State Representative: 50 per district.
- City offices (at-large): 200 generally; specific local exceptions:
- Newport: at-large or school committee: 100
- Woonsocket: citywide nonpartisan offices (city council, mayor, school committee): 100
- Providence: 500
- Voting district moderator or clerk: 10 per district
- Other offices (e.g., delegates, unendorsed party candidates): 50
- Electronic signatures via portal count toward the aggregate totals (for subsections a–h).
4) Signing procedures (amendments to § 17-14-8)
- Signatures may come from multiple endorsers on different nomination papers.
- Endorsers in different cities/towns should not sign the same sheet.
- In-person signatures must include name, residence, and street number as on the voting list; signatures may vary slightly yet be valid if identifiable.
- For voters who cannot write, marks (X) are allowed with two witnesses.
- Electronic signatures via the online portal follow the same validity standards as in-person signatures.
5) Verification, challenges, and invalid signatures (amendments to § 17-14-11)
- Local boards check signatures, including electronic ones, against the voting list.
- Boards certify a sufficient number of names to qualify a candidate for the ballot; challenges may adjust the certification, and local boards retain local nomination papers.
- If a signature is invalid or forged, it is not counted.
- Local canvassing clerks must report suspected forgery to the state board; the state board can order reviews and issue findings, with rules promulgated in coordination with clerks’ associations.
6) Filing deadlines (amendments to § 17-14-12)
- State offices: nomination papers and certified local lists must be filed with the Secretary of State no later than 54 days before the primary.
- Special elections: deadlines vary (26–49 days before the primary, depending on the election type).
- Independent presidential and certain party presidential candidates must file not later than 54 days before the general election.
7) Objections to eligibility (amendments to § 17-14-13)
- Once filed and in apparent conformity, nomination papers are presumed valid unless objections are filed by 4:00 p.m. on the next business day after the last day for filing.
8) Electronic portal definition (Section 3)
- Online nomination paper portal is recognized as a form of nomination paper for purposes of eligibility and signatures.
Impact and considerations
Overall, HB 8282 seeks to modernize Rhode Island’s nomination process by enabling an online signature option while maintaining stringent checks on validity and preventing fraud, with a phased rollout beginning in 2027 and full implementation by 2028 for presidential elections and onward.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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