Gorbea: Voter Registration Deadline for Upcoming Rhode Island Special Election is January 31

Gorbea: Voter Registration Deadline for Upcoming Rhode Island Special Election is January 31

Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea is reminding Rhode Islanders that they have until Sunday, January 31, to register to vote or update their voter information for the state’s special referenda election on March 2. Rhode Islanders can check their voter registration status by using the Department of State’s Voter Information Center.

Voters are being asked to approve $400 million in bonds -- SEE LIST HERE

According to Gorbea, eligible residents can register to vote or update their voter information at vote.ri.gov, or by submitting a voter registration form to their local board of canvassers by January 31. Secure elections drop boxes located in every community can also be used to return voter registration forms. 

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“The bond questions on the March 2 ballot represent nearly half a billion dollars in investment for issues important to Rhode Islanders – things like education, housing, childcare, the environment, and roads and bridges,” said Gorbea. “If you want a say in how the state allocates this money, the first step is to make sure you’re registered to vote and that your registration is up to date.”

The seven referenda questions for the March 2 special election involve authorizing the state to borrow money through bonds and temporary notes to make capital investments in several different areas. Voters can learn more about each bond question using Secretary Gorbea’s Voter Information Handbook. The Handbook will also be mailed to all voters in early February.

As in last November’s general election, voters will have three options to cast their ballot in the special election. Voters may choose to cast their ballot by mail, early in-person up to 20 days before the election, or at the polls on Election Day.

To ensure that every eligible Rhode Islander has the option of voting safely from home during the pandemic, Gorbea sent mail ballot applications to all active voters last week. The deadline to submit a mail ballot application is February 9 at 4 p.m.

Rhode Island voters who have difficulty reading or marking their ballot may still vote from home with an accessible mail ballot by checking the appropriate box on their mail ballot application. All polling places will also be equipped with accessible voting equipment.

Under Rhode Island law, voters must apply for a mail ballot in each election where they wish to vote from home. This means if you voted by mail in the November general election, you still need to fill out and submit a mail ballot application by February 9 if you wish to vote from home in the special election.

Special Referenda Election Schedule

Sunday, January 31:                 Deadline to register to vote
Tuesday, February 9:                Deadline to submit mail ballot applications
Wednesday, February 10:         Early in-person voting period begins
Monday, March 1:                     Early in-person voting period ends at 4 p.m.
Tuesday, March 2:                     Special Referenda Election, polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
 

State Bond Questions -- Question and principal

1. Higher Education Facilities
$107,300,000

2. Beach, Clean Water and Green Bond
$74,000,000

3. Housing and Community Opportunity
$65,000,000

4. Transportation Infrastructure State Match
$71,700,000

5. Early Childhood Care and Education Capital Fund
$15,000,000

6. Cultural Arts and the Economy Grant Program and State Preservation Grants Program
$7,000,000

7. Industrial Facilities Infrastructure
$60,000,000

TOTAL BORROWING COSTS

$400,000,000