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RI H7978
Bill
Status
2/27/2026
Primary Sponsor
David Place
Click for details
AI Summary
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Redefines "political party" or "major party" to include organizations whose candidate for President, U.S. Senator, Representative, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, or state treasurer received at least 2% of total statewide votes in the last general election
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Establishes alternative qualification paths for major party status: having one or more members serving in the General Assembly, or having at least 5,000 voters enrolled in the party as of June 1 of a general election year
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Creates new definition of "minor parties" as political organizations with fewer than 5,000 registered voters or whose candidates received less than 2% of total votes in the previous election
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Eliminates the existing petition-based pathway requiring 5% of voter signatures to qualify as a political party, replacing it with the new vote threshold and enrollment criteria
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Takes effect immediately upon passage
Legislative Description
Redefines "political party" and defines and distinguishes between "major parties" and "minor parties" based on the total number of votes a party's candidate received in the previous election.
Elections
Last Action
Introduced, referred to House State Government & Elections
2/27/2026