2005 Rhode Island Code - § 17-11-1.1 — Combination of voting districts for special election.

    (a) The board of canvassers of any city or town, for any special election to be held in that city or town at which there will be submitted to the voters a question or questions for their approval or rejection but at which no state or local officials will be elected, shall have the power to combine two (2) or more voting districts within the same ward or senatorial and representative district, when in its judgment the combination is advisable, and when these districts are combined they shall be treated as a voting district. Notwithstanding the preceding provisions, for any special election at which there is on the ballot for all offices to be filled at the election only one candidate for each office, the board of canvassers of the city or town shall have the authority to combine likewise two (2) or more voting districts, but only upon the approval of the board of elections.

   (b) If voting districts are combined as provided in subsection (a) of this section, the local board must advertise the combination of districts in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or town no less than seven (7) days and no more than twenty-one (21) days before the special election.

   (c) The board of canvassers of the town of Coventry shall have the power to combine two (2) or more voting districts within the same ward or senatorial and representative districts, notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, for a special election to be held on April 22, 2003.