The text
Sec. 501. - Election laws and conditions of elections.#
The provisions of the Constitution and the general laws of the State of Rhode Island now or hereafter in effect pertaining to elections, special, general and primary, and also all special acts pertaining to elections in the Town of Bristol now or hereafter in effect shall govern all town elections, special, general and primary, so far as they may be applicable, excepting those provisions which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter affecting the form of government.
Sec. 502. - Canvassing authority.#
There shall be a bipartisan canvassing authority appointed by the town council as provided by the Constitution and the laws of the state. Said canvassing authority shall be vested with all the powers and duties now or hereafter vested by law in the canvassing authority or board of registration of the town. All members of said authority or board now in office shall continue in said positions as members thereof until the expiration of the terms for which respectively they were chosen.
Sec. 503. - Voter initiative.#
The right to enact ordinances is hereby granted to the qualified electors of the town by initiative, provided that such power shall not extend to any ordinance relating to the levy of taxes, or to the salaries and benefits of city officials or employees. The initiative shall be exercised in the following manner: (a)
Whenever one hundred and fifty (150) qualified electors of the town petition the town council to enact a proposed ordinance, said petition shall be submitted to the town clerk, who shall forthwith transmit it to the board of canvassers. The board shall, within ten (10) days of receipt, check the validity of the signatures. If they determine that the petition contains the requisite number of valid signatures, they shall return the same to the town clerk for submission to the council.
(b)
The signatures on any initiative petition provided for in subsection (a) or subsection (c) of this section may be on separate papers, provided, however, that each such separate paper shall contain, or be attached to, a full and correct copy of the title and text of the proposed ordinance. Each such separate petition paper shall, before any signatures are affixed thereto, be presented at the office of the town clerk, who shall cause it to be stamped with the date it is so presented. All papers circulated pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to which signatures have been affixed shall be returned to the office of the town clerk no later than thirty (30) days from the date of the earliest date stamp appearing on any such paper. All such papers to be circulated pursuant to subsection (c) of this section shall be presented to the town clerk for date stamping before any signatures have been affixed thereto as aforesaid, and shall be returned to the office of the town clerk no later than ninety (90) days from the date of the earliest date stamp appearing on any such paper.
(c)
The town council shall act upon such proposed ordinance within forty (40) days of receipt thereof. In the event that the town council shall fail to enact such proposed ordinance in the form in which it was presented, and upon receipt of a petition signed by one thousand (1,000) qualified electors of the town, said petition having been submitted and the signatures checked in the manner provided in subsection (a) hereof, the council shall submit such proposed ordinance to a vote of the electors of the town at a special or at the next general election. The ballot or voting machine face at such election shall set forth the title and a brief summary of the ordinance, and the question "Shall the ordinance be approved?" with the choices provided to vote "approve" or "reject."
(d)
If a majority of the electors voting on such proposed ordinance shall vote to approve the same, such ordinance shall thereupon become a valid binding ordinance of the town. An ordinance so adopted shall not be altered or modified by the town council within one year after the adoption thereof.
(e)
The town council may, by ordinance, make such other and further regulations for carrying out the provisions of this section as are not inconsistent herewith.
Sec. 504. - Voter referendum.#
The right to vote upon any ordinance enacted by the town council, other than an ordinance which shall have been adopted pursuant to the provisions of section 503 of this Charter, is hereby granted to the qualified electors of the town. This right of referendum shall be exercised in the following manner: (a)
Whenever one thousand (1,000) of the qualified electors of the town petition for a referendum vote on a specified ordinance enacted by the town council, said petition shall be submitted to the town clerk who shall forthwith follow the procedures in connection therewith as set forth in subsection (a) of section 503 for an initiative petition.
(b)
The signatures on any such referendum petition submitted in accordance with this section may be on separate papers, provided, however, that each such separate paper shall contain, or be attached to, a full and correct copy of the title and text of the ordinance which it is proposed shall be voted upon in a referendum. Each such separate petition paper shall be date stamped by the office of the town clerk, and shall be returned within ninety (90) days, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of section 503.
(c)
Upon receipt of a petition certified to have the requisite number of valid signatures, the council shall submit the ordinance upon which a referendum was sought in said petition, to a vote of the electors of the town at a special or at the next general election. The ballot or voting machine face at such election shall set forth the title and a brief summary of the ordinance, and the question "Shall the ordinance be approved?" with the choices provided to vote "approve" or "reject."
(d)
If a majority of the electors voting on such ordinance shall vote to approve the same, such ordinance shall remain a valid and binding ordinance of the town. If they shall vote to reject the ordinance, it shall be deemed to have been repealed upon certification of the vote.
(e)
The town council may, by ordinance, make such other and further regulations for carrying out the provisions of this section as are not inconsistent herewith.