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SB 2309

AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- PRIMARIES FOR ELECTION OF DELEGATES TO NATIONAL CONVENTIONS AND FOR PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE

2026 Regular Session Introduced by John Burke and 4 co-sponsors

The bill lowers the delegate nomination petition threshold from 150 to 50 signatures and shortens key submission and certification deadlines before Rhode Island’s presidential prim

06/18/2026 Signed by Governor
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Bill Summary · SB 2309

Summary of Bill: SB 2309 (Rhode Island) – 2026

Purpose and intent

  • This act amends Rhode Island law governing primaries for the election of delegates to national conventions and presidential preference.
  • Main goals: lower the threshold for delegate nomination petitions and shorten the deadline windows for submitting and certifying nomination papers.

Key provisions and changes

  1. Nomination papers: number of signers

    • Repeats and reduces the required number of signatures for a candidate to become a delegate to a national convention.
    • Current language proposed: at least 150, now reduced to 50 eligible voters’ signatures in aggregate.

  2. Submission and certification deadlines

    • Alters several timing benchmarks relative to the presidential preference primary:
      • Nomination papers must be submitted by four o’clock p.m. on the fifty-sixth (now fifty-fourth) day before the presidential preference primary to the local board where signers reside.
      • Local boards must check, process, and certify them to the secretary of state by four o’clock p.m. on the fifty-third (now fifty-third) day before the presidential preference primary.
      • By the fifty-third (now the fiftieth) day before the presidential primary, a candidate may submit to the secretary of state documentation that the candidate for presidential nominee approves the delegates named to ally with the candidate, or approval from the steering/screening committee for that delegation.
      • Delegates pledged to a presidential candidate who lack such approval, but are otherwise qualified, would still appear on the ballot according to party rules.

  3. Certification and objections

    • Once local boards certify nomination papers, they are presumed valid unless there are written objections regarding eligibility, sufficiency, or signatures.
    • Objections must be filed with the state board of elections by four o’clock p.m. on the next business day after the last day for local filing.
    • The secretary of state may disqualify a candidate if nomination papers or signatures are invalid or insufficient.
    • The state board’s decision on objections must be rendered by four o’clock p.m. on the forty-seventh (now forty-seventh) day before the presidential preference primary and immediately certified to the secretary of state.

  4. Effective date

    • The act takes effect upon passage.

Who/what would be affected

  • Candidates seeking to be delegates to national party conventions (and their pledged delegates).
  • Voter-signers supporting such candidates (as the signatures required from eligible voters are reduced).
  • Local boards of canvassers (city/town election offices) and the Rhode Island Secretary of State (administrative and certification processes).
  • Political parties’ rules for delegate designation (since the bill references delegates “identified with” a presidential candidate and potential approvals by nominees or steering/ screening committees).

Procedural/timeline aspects

  • The act tightens and shortens petition and certification timelines:
    • Signature threshold reduced (150 → 50).
    • Key deadlines moved earlier in the cycle (56 → 54 days for submission; 53 days for local certification; 50 days for secretary of state documentation regarding candidate approvals).
    • Objection deadlines align with certification windows, with a defined four o’clock p.m. cutoff and a 47-day pre-primary deadline for state board decisions.
  • Full effect is upon passage; applies to elections conducted after enactment.

Practical impact and considerations

  • Lower signature threshold could make it easier for individuals to qualify as delegates.
  • Shorter timelines may increase administrative workload and rushing for both local boards and the secretary of state.
  • The requirement for candidate/nominee approval documentation to bind delegates to a presidential candidate or steering committee adds a verification layer to delegate selection.
  • Overall effect: potential increase in the number of candidates for delegate slots and a more streamlined (but tighter) petition process ahead of presidential primaries.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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