§ 17-4-9 - Special election to fill senatorial vacancy. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 17-4-9

   § 17-4-9  Special election to fillsenatorial vacancy. – Whenever a person elected a senator in congress, at any time between the day ofthat person's election and the beginning of his or her term of office, refusesto serve and so declares to the secretary of state, or dies, becomes insane,removes from the state, or is otherwise incapacitated, or whenever a vacancyhappens in the representation of this state in the United States senate, thegovernor shall issue his or her writ of election directed to the several cityand town clerks, or local boards as the case may be, ordering a new election ofsenator to fill the vacancy to be held in the state at as early a date, to bestated in the writ, as will be in compliance with the provisions of law inrelation to these elections, but no election provided for by this section shallbe held exclusively on Saturday; provided, that whenever a vacancy occursbetween the first day of July and the first day of October in any even numberedyear, the governor shall, unless in his or her opinion the public good requiresan earlier special election, issue his or her writ for a special election tofill the vacancy to be held with the general election on the Tuesday next afterthe first Monday in November of that year.