State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Rhode-island > Title-17 > Chapter-17-14 > 17-14-11SECTION 17-14-11
§ 17-14-11 Checking and certification ofnomination papers – Challenge. – Each nomination paper for party and independent candidates shall be submittedbefore four o'clock (4:00) p.m. on the sixtieth (60th) day before the primaryto the local board of the city or town where the signers appear to be votersor, in the case of special elections, on the twenty-eighth (28th) day beforethe primary. Nomination papers for independent presidential candidates andpresidential candidates of political parties, other than those defined in§ 17-1-2(9), shall be filed not later than sixty (60) days prior to thegeneral election. Each local board shall immediately proceed to checksignatures on each nomination paper filed with it against the voting list aslast canvassed or published according to law. In the case of candidates forstatewide office, the local boards shall certify the number of names appearingon the nomination papers that are in conformity with the requirements of §17-14-8, and after considering any challenge under this section, shallimmediately file all nomination papers for the officers with the secretary ofstate. In the case of all other candidates, the local boards shall certify asufficient number of names appearing on the nomination papers that are inconformity with the requirements of § 17-14-8 to qualify the candidate fora position on the ballot, and after considering any challenge under thissection and, if necessary, certifying any additional valid names, shallimmediately file nomination papers for general assembly and state and districtcommittee candidates with the secretary of state; provided, that nominationpapers for local candidates shall be retained by the local board. If anycandidate or the chairperson of any party committee questions the validity orauthenticity of any signature on the nomination paper, the local board shallimmediately and summarily decide the question, and for this purpose, shall havethe same powers as are conferred upon the board by the provisions of §17-14-14. If any challenged signature is found to be invalid, for any reason inlaw, or forged, then the signature shall not be counted.
