R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-12-8: Qualifications and terms of committee members.

(a) No member of a ward, town, or district committee shall hold or continue to hold membership on the ward, town, or district committee, unless that member is a qualified elector of the ward, town, or district.

(b) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this chapter, ward, district, town, and city committee members shall hold office, respectively, from the date of their election until the next election of the committees, and thereafter until their successors has been duly elected, qualified, and organized.

(c) Candidates for ward, town, or district committee members shall file declarations of candidacy biennially, in every even year, in accordance with § 17-14-1.