Changes the manner by which presidential electoral college electors are elected and create a system of grouping of municipalities of equal populations, one of each of Rhode Island's electoral votes.
Summary
H5520 would change how Rhode Island awards its presidential electors. Under current law, the state’s electors are chosen by plurality statewide in the general election. This bill would instead divide the state into four groups of municipalities with approximately equal populations, with the number of groups tied to Rhode Island’s number of electoral votes. Voters in each group would cast ballots, and the winning candidate in each group would receive one electoral vote.
The bill would amend Rhode Island General Laws § 17-4-10, which governs the time and manner of voting for presidential electors. It would also require the grouping of municipalities to be created during the redistricting process, making the allocation of electoral votes depend on district-style geographic groupings rather than a single statewide tally. The proposal would take effect immediately upon passage.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would significantly alter Rhode Island’s presidential election process by replacing the current statewide winner-take-all method with a district-based allocation of electoral votes. This would affect election administration, redistricting practices, and the way presidential campaigns engage with voters across the state. It would also change the operation of Chapter 17-4 of the General Laws as applied to presidential electors.
Sentiment
No committee transcript or recorded vote information is provided, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition from legislative debate. Based on the bill text alone, the proposal appears to be a structural election reform aimed at changing how Rhode Island’s electoral votes are awarded, which is the kind of change that typically draws strong interest because it can affect presidential election outcomes. The available record does not show whether the bill advanced or was opposed in committee.
Contention
The main point of contention would likely be the shift away from a statewide plurality system to a grouped, district-like system for awarding electoral votes. Supporters of such a change may view it as a way to make Rhode Island’s electoral votes reflect regional preferences more closely, while opponents may argue it fragments the statewide vote and could reduce the influence of the overall popular vote. Because the bill ties the grouping of municipalities to redistricting, another likely issue is how the groups would be drawn and whether that process could be politicized.