Except as hereinafter specifically provided the laws of the state relating to the composition, powers and duties of the board of canvassers, the right to vote, the registration of voters, the nominations of candidates, the conduct of primaries and elections, the submission of charter amendment and other propositions, the counting of votes and the declaration of results shall apply to such general city elections and all special elections including the method of calling the same.
Beginning with the general city election of 2012 and every four years thereafter the mayor shall be elected for a term of four years. There shall also be elected at each general city election for a term of two years a council of nine members, one from each of six wards, and three council members city-wide.
(a) 
No person who has been duly sworn as mayor effective with the election of November 2012 shall be elected to the office of mayor for more than two consecutive four year terms.
(b) 
No person who has been duly sworn as a member of the city council effective with the election of November, 1994 shall be elected to said office for more than five consecutive two year terms. By ordinance, the city shall be divided into six wards in such a manner that each ward shall: (1) consist of a compact and contiguous portion of the city; (2) respect the geographic integrity of local neighborhoods or local communities of interest in a manner which minimizes their division to the extent possible; (3) be bounded by major roads or natural features to the extent possible. All wards shall contain as nearly as possible an equal number of inhabitants as determined by the most recent federal decennial census, and shall request that such plan be enacted into law. The place of residence of any incumbent or political candidate shall not be considered in the creation of wards. Wards shall not be drawn for the purpose of favoring or discriminating against an incumbent, political candidate, or political party.
(Res. No. 73-122, 6/25/1973, § 1, 2, approved at referendum 8/7/1973; Res. No. 91-61, 10/28/1991, approved at referendum 6/9/1992; Res. No. 94-40, 6/27/1994, approved at referendum 11/8/1994; approved at referendum 11/3/1998; Res. No. 00-46, 6/26/2000, approved at referendum 11/7/2000; Res. No. 2010-44, §§ 1, 2, 5/24/2010, approved at referendum 11/2/2010; Res. No. 2020-25, § 1, 6/25/2020, approved at referendum 11/3/2020)
[1]
Editor's note: This section was validated by chapter 183 of the Public Laws of 1963. By Chapter 118 of the Public Laws of 1964, the city was divided into six wards.
At the general city election of 2000 and every two years thereafter there shall be elected for terms of two years a school committee of seven members one of whom shall be elected from each of six districts to consist of wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, respectively, remainder city wide. The following provisions shall govern the election of the members of the school committee.
(a) 
Any qualified elector of the city may become a candidate for city wide member of the school committee at a general city election or a special election to fill a vacancy if there is filed with the board of canvassers as hereinafter provided a nominating petition signed by the same number of qualified electors of the city as is required for a candidate for city wide member of the city council and a statement by the candidate in writing indicating that person's intention to become a candidate. Any qualified elector of the city may become a candidate for district member of the school committee at a general city election or a special election to fill a vacancy if that person is a resident of the district which the person is a candidate to represent and if there is filed with the board of canvassers as hereinafter provided a nominating petition signed by the same number of qualified electors of the city from such district as is required for a candidate for ward member of the city council and a statement by the candidate in writing indicating that person's intention to become a candidate. The forms of such petitions shall be prescribed consistently with the terms of the charter by the board of canvassers and copies shall be furnished to all candidates. Such petitions shall show clearly the title of the position for which the candidate is nominated, for example, "city wide member of the school committee," the term for which the person is a candidate, and the name and the place of residence of the candidate. The signature of each signer shall be followed by the signer's place of residence, by street and number where possible. The signatures to a nominating petition need not all be subscribed to a single paper, but to each separate petition paper there shall be attached the affidavit of the circulator thereof stating the number of signatures thereon, that the circulator is a qualified elector of the city, that all signatures on the paper were made in his presence, and that they are the genuine signatures of the persons whose names they purport to be. A person shall not be a candidate simultaneously for a district and a city wide school committee position.
(b) 
Nominating petitions for the school committee shall be filed with the board of canvassers in accordance with the schedule provided for in Chapter 17 of the General Laws of the State of Rhode Island, 1956, as amended, for candidates for city council. No such nominating petition shall be accepted by the board of canvassers unless prior to or simultaneously with the filing of the petition the candidate shall also file a statement in writing indicating that person's intention to become a candidate. The board of canvassers shall within five days check the signatures on the petition with the list of electors who will have become qualified as such on the date of the election as last canvassed or published according to law and shall notify each candidate as to the sufficiency of the candidate's petition. If the petition is valid except that it contains less than the required number of valid signatures a supplementary petition containing additional signatures may be filed up to the last day for filing petitions for that election.
If any candidate questions the validity or authenticity of any signature on any such nominating petition the board of canvassers shall forthwith and summarily decide the question and for that purpose shall have the same powers as are conferred by the general laws of the state with respect to other nominating petitions. When nominating petitions have been duly filed and are in apparent conformity with the above provisions they shall be conclusively presumed to be valid unless written objections thereto are made as to the eligibility of the candidate or the sufficiency of the nominating petitions or the signatures thereon. All such objections shall be filed with the board of canvassers by five o'clock in the afternoon of the next business day after the last day fixed for filing nominating petitions as hereinbefore provided. All objections to nominating petitions shall be considered by the board of canvassers. The board may at the hearing on such objections summon witnesses, administer oaths and require the production of books and papers. Such witnesses shall be summoned in the same manner, be paid the same fees and be subject to the same penalties for default as witnesses before the superior court. When such objections have been filed notice therefor shall be given forthwith by registered mail or by personal service to the candidate the candidate's place of residence as given in the nominating petition to which objection is made. The decision of the board shall be rendered within five days after the objections. After the determination of objections, if any, the board of canvassers shall certify forthwith to the secretary of state the names and addresses of all candidates who have filed valid nominating petitions. All certified lists of candidates shall be filed by the board of canvassers with the secretary of state not later than twenty days before the general city election or primary preceding the same and not later than twelve days before a special election or a primary preceding the same and in no case later than five o'clock in the afternoon of the last day fixed for such filing.
(c) 
If the board of canvassers determines that valid nominating petitions have been filed to a number in excess of twice the number of city wide positions on the school committee or in excess of two for any district position on the school committee to be filled at the ensuing general city election or a special election to fill a vacancy, as the case may be, a nonpartisan primary shall be held for the purpose of reducing the number of candidates to twice the number for each position to be filled. Such primary shall be held on the second Tuesday after the first Monday in September in 2000 and in each even numbered year thereafter. In the case of a special election to fill a vacancy, such primary shall be held at a time to be fixed by the board of canvassers, provided, however, that such primary shall have been held by the thirtieth day preceding the date fixed for the special election and provided further that the date or dates so fixed by the board of canvassers shall not be a religious holiday or Saturday. All qualified electors of the city irrespective of party affiliation shall have the right to vote in such nonpartisan primary for as many city wide candidates as there are city wide positions on the school committee to be filled at the ensuing election, and within any district where there is a primary for a district school committee position such election such electors within the district shall have the right to vote for one district school committee candidate. This right to vote in such nonpartisan primary or to sign the nominating petitions of such candidates for the school committee shall not be affected by signing nominating petitions for party candidates for other offices or by participation in party primaries.
Nonpartisan primaries shall, except as herein otherwise specifically provided, be conducted by the board of canvassers in accordance with the general laws of the state relating to city wide partisan primaries. The board of canvassers shall arrange the names of the candidates for city wide school committee positions by lot, without party designations, and likewise but separately for each district school committee position, on the voting machines, and if the use of voting machines is impracticable or impossible for any reason, shall prepare paper ballots to be used at the primary on which the names of candidates shall likewise appear in alphabetical order and without party designations. At least fifteen (15) days before any such nonpartisan primary preceding a general city election and at least five (5) days before any such primary preceding a special election to fill a vacancy the board of canvassers shall appoint for each polling place a warden, a clerk and at least six supervisors, from lists of qualified persons presented to the board by the candidates in such primary. The board of canvassers shall designate the number of names, not exceeding two (2) for each election official to be appointed, to be contained in such lists. All election officials shall be qualified electors of the district in which they are to serve; provided, that if any candidate shall certify that the candidate has been unable to obtain a sufficient number of election officials for any voting district, who are qualified electors of the district the candidate may include in the candidate's list qualified electors of the city who are not qualified electors of the voting district and such persons shall be eligible to serve in such district. Wardens, clerks, and supervisors for the various polling places shall be designated by the board of canvassers so that there shall be as nearly as possible equal representations for all candidates; provided that no candidate shall be represented by both a warden and a clerk in the same polling place. The election officials so appointed shall be sworn and shall have all the powers, duties and obligations conferred or imposed on election officials by the general laws of the state.
(d) 
Whenever the number of valid nominating petitions for school committee, filed with the board of canvassers, shall not exceed twice the number of city wide positions, or two district positions for each district, to be filled at the ensuing election, no school committee primary shall be held for those positions with no excess candidates, and the lists of candidates named in such valid petitions shall be certified at once to the secretary of state and their names shall be placed on the voting machines or paper ballots used at the ensuing general election or special election to fill a vacancy, as the case may be, as candidates for the school committee. Whenever a nonpartisan primary has been held as above provided, the city wide candidates in such primary to a number equal to twice the number of city wide positions on the school committee to be filled at the ensuing election, and the two district candidates in any district having a primary, individually receiving the largest number of votes, shall be certified at once to the secretary of state and their names shall be placed on the voting machines or paper ballots used at the ensuing general election or special election to fill a vacancy, as the case may be, as candidates for the school committee. The names of all such candidates for the school committee at a general city election shall appear on the voting machines or paper ballots used, without party designations of any kind. Otherwise, the voting machines or paper ballots shall be arranged and the general election shall be conducted, including the appointment of election officials, as provided in the general laws of the state relating to general city elections. The names of candidates for school committee at a special election to fill a vacancy shall be arranged on the voting machines or paper ballots used in such election alphabetically without party designations, with separate listings, however, for city wide candidates and for candidates in each district. Election officials shall be appointed as provided in subsection (c) hereof, in the case of a nonpartisan primary. Otherwise, such special election shall be conducted as provided in the general laws of the state for the calling and conduct of special elections to fill a vacancy.
(e) 
Any candidate for the school committee for whom a valid nominating petition has been filed shall be permitted to withdraw as a candidate, provided, such withdrawal shall be in writing and delivered to the board of canvassers not later than ten days before the date set for the primary preceding a general city election or not later than five days before the date set for a primary preceding a special election to fill a vacancy.
(f) 
All forms used in connection with the nomination of candidates for the school committee, as provided in subsections (a) to (e) above, including nominating petitions and paper ballots when used, shall be prescribed in conformity with such provisions and furnished by the board of canvassers at the expense of the city.
(g) 
Vacancies shall be filled as set forth in section 2.06 of the charter, provided that special elections shall be held in the district concerned in case of a vacancy in a district position on the school committee occurring in the first six months of a two year term, and also provided that in filling a vacancy in a district position the school committee shall appoint a person residing in that district.
(h) 
No person who has been duly sworn as a member of the school committee effective with the election of November, 2014 shall be elected to said office for more than five consecutive two year terms.
(Res. No. 06-55, 7/24/1906, § 1, approved at referendum 11/7/1906; Res. No. 247, 7/22/1968, approved at referendum 11/5/1968; Res. No. 73-122, 6/25/1973, §§ 3, 4, approved at referendum 8/7/1973; Res. No. 90-58, 9/4/1990, § 1, approved at referendum 6/9/1992; Res. No. 91-61, 10/28/1991, §§ 1, 2, approved at referendum 11/3/1992; Res. No. 91-64, §§ 1, 2, approved at referendum 11/3/1992; approved at referendum 11/3/1998; Res. No. 2014-19, § 1, 5/27/2014, approved by referendum 11/4/2014)
[1]
Editor's note: For act validating the provisions of this section, see chapter 180 of the Public Laws of 1963, which also changed the term of office in the first paragraph from three years to two years. For act validating the provisions of the 1968 amendment to this section, see chapter 113 of the Public Laws of 1969.
The terms of all elective officers as above specified shall commence on the first Monday in January following their election and in no case shall terminate until a successor has been elected and qualified.
[1]
Editor's note: This section was validated by chapters 180 and 183 of the Public Laws of 1963.
A vacancy in any of the offices covered by this chapter, occurring in the first six months of a two-year term or the first thirty months of a four-year term, shall be filled by a special election in the city or, in the case of a ward representative on the council, in the ward concerned. Such election shall be called by the board of canvassers on notice from the city clerk of the existence of the vacancy and shall be conducted as provided by law except that in the case of a vacancy in the school committee nominations shall be made by petition as above provided and no party designations shall appear on the ballot or voting machines. An election to fill a vacancy in the office of mayor may be held in connection with a general city election occurring within six months of the occurrence of the vacancy. A vacancy in the office of mayor occurring later than thirty months after taking office shall be filled as provided in chapter 5. Any vacancy in the council or school committee other than as above provided for shall be filled by the council or school committee, respectively, for the unexpired portion of the term, provided that in the case of a council vacancy the position shall be filled with a person belonging to the same political party as the late incumbent and if the late incumbent had been a representative of a ward, with a person residing in the same ward.
[1]
Editor's note: This section was validated by chapters 180 and 183 of the Public Laws of 1963.
All elective officers as defined in this chapter shall at the time of their election and during their term of office be actual residents and qualified electors of the City of Cranston and in the case of ward/district representatives, actual residents of the ward/district which they represent, where they maintain their actual residence. No elective officer shall during that officer's term of office hold any other office of profit under the city, state or federal government except that of notary public, member of the military or naval reserve of the United States, or member of the teaching staff of an educational institution of the State of Rhode Island. If during an elective officer's term of office that officer shall cease to possess any of the above qualifications the office shall ipso facto become vacant. No elective officer shall during the term for which the officer was elected be appointed to any office of profit under the government of the city.
(Res. No. 73-122, 6/25/1973, § 5, approved at referendum 8/7/1973; Res. No. 76-67, 7/26/1976, § 1, approved at referendum 11/2/1976; approved at referendum 11/3/1998)
[1]
Editor's note: This section was validated by chapters 180 and 183 of the Public Laws of 1963.
The mayor, the members of the city council and the school committee may be removed from office by recall, provided that recall may not be initiated during the first six months or the last six months of the term of an incumbent. The procedure to accomplish recall shall be as follows:
(a) 
A declaration of intent to petition for recall shall be filed with the city clerk. In seeking recall of the mayor, city council members city wide and school committee members city wide said declaration shall be by a qualified city elector. In the case of city council members who represent a ward, or school committee members who represent a district then said declaration shall be by a qualified elector of the ward or district from which such member was elected.
(b) 
Within ninety (90) days of the presentation of said declaration, a written petition demanding the removal of the mayor, or a member of the city council or a member of the school committee shall be filed with city clerk. When removal of the mayor, or a member of the city council city wide or a member of the school committee city wide is sought said petition shall include the signatures of twenty percent of all qualified city electors, provided, however, when recall of a council member city wide or a school committee member city wide is sought no more than twenty percent of the total signatures thereon may be from any one ward or any one school district, respectively. When removal of any other member of the city council or school committee member is sought, said petition shall contain the signatures of twenty percent of the qualified electors of the ward or school district from which such member was elected.
(c) 
The signatures on any recall petition provided for in this chapter may be on a separate paper, but to each separate paper there shall be attached a signed statement of the circulator thereof, who shall state therein under sworn oath and penalty of perjury, that each signature appended to said paper was made in the presence of the circulator. All such papers comprising a recall petition may be bound together and filed as one instrument at one time, or may be filed at different times as separate papers; provided however, that all such separate papers must be filed within the time limit set herein.
(d) 
The city clerk shall within five (5) days of the filing of a petition refer said petition to the board of canvassers which shall within ten (10) days from the date of the receipt of such petition from the city clerk examine it and shall from the voters registered determine the sufficiency thereof and certify the results to the city council within five (5) days of said certification. If the examination shows the petition contains the requisite number of signatures, the city council shall order and fix, forthwith, a date for holding an election, which date shall not be less than thirty (30) nor more than sixty (60) days from the date that the board of canvassers certified the petition as sufficient.
(e) 
Each ballot at such election shall have printed thereon the following question: "Shall (name of person) be removed from the office of (name of office)?" Immediately following such question, there shall be printed on the ballot the following two propositions in this order.
"YES"
"NO"
(f) 
In any such election, if a 2/3 majority of the votes cast on the question of removal is affirmative, the person whose removal is sought shall thereupon be deemed removed from office as of the certification of results by the board of canvassers.
(g) 
The city council may, through ordinance, make other and further regulations for carrying out the provisions of this section not inconsistent herewith.
(Res. No. 94-39, 6/27/1994, § 2, approved at referendum 11/8/1994)
[1]
Editor's note: Former Sec. 2.09, which pertained to city campaign contribution reporting and was last amended at a referendum of 11/3/1998, was repealed 6/26/2020 by Res. No. 2020-26, approved at referendum 11/8/2022.