Casting call: Stirred by abundance of issues, RI voters answer on their ballots

Mid-morning on Tuesday, voters trickled into the Providence Water Supply Board poll site on Academy Avenue – many citing reproductive rights as a concern.

Cindy Holt said she felt gubernatorial candidate Ashley Kalus has been vague on her stance on abortion. Holt said health care and environmental issues were also top of mind for her as she cast her ballot.

With her was Brian Holt, who raised concerns about “the fate of democracy,” describing election deniers as “a bunch of crazy people.”

Similarly, while walking in to vote, Linda Skibski said she is worried about the potential for political violence and believes the Jan. 6 Capitol riot could be repeated.

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Robert M., using an initial in place of his last name, called reproductive rights the “biggest thing that got me down here” to vote. He backed Democrat Seth Magaziner in the Congressional District 2 race.

Luis Astudillo, a Classical High School teacher, said the “defense of democracy” is among his top issues, and like other voters said he is “concerned about rights being taken away” from women when it comes to abortion.

Also on his mind was the Providence ballot initiative on whether to expand the School Board and make it partially elected. He voted against that.

Ballot initiatives were also important to voters at Nathan Bishop Middle School. Aliya Sabharwal, a progressive who was on her way out of the polling site, knew she didn’t want the School Board to become politicized but wasn’t sure what impact elected members might have. Ultimately, Sabharwal said she didn’t feel educated enough on the matter.

While many voters may be motivated by other issues such as abortion rights and the state of democracy, Alex Winder, who was with Sabharwal, said he felt those two issues weren’t being fought out in Rhode Island. Instead, he was more interested in affordable housing and spending on schools and public transit.

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In Warwick, 'it’s women’s rights on the ballot'

About two dozen voters snaked in a line outside the Aspray Boat House in Pawtuxet Village in Warwick on Tuesday morning in what seemed an unusually strong turnout.

“It’s extremely busy, even with the early voting” completed before Election Day, long-time elections clerk Denise Hainey said.

The numbers were higher than had been forecast, surprising those working the polls. By 10:30 a.m., 350 people had cast a ballot.

“There is a lot of contention,” Hainey said. “I think it’s the negative ads.”

Up the road, at the Scottish Rite Masonic Lodge, 32-year-old Sarah Fleischer voted Democrat.

“For me, it’s women’s rights on the ballot, and our voices need to be heard,” she said.

Rosemary Tregar, 73, credited Allan Fung as being a “fairly good” mayor but said she, too, voted Democrat, given national politics.

“He has aligned with Trump, and the way the Republican Party is now, they intend to do things that harm people,” Tregar said.

As a clinical social worker, she said she knew firsthand the damage anti-abortion policies could inflict on women.

Still, she said she isn’t surprised that polls show Fung neck and neck with state Treasurer Seth Magaziner for the Congress 2 seat due to Fung’s strong support in conservative western Cranston.

Cranston, Warwick lead the state in early voting

Before the polls opened on Tuesday, 12.4% of the state's registered voters had cast early in-person or mail ballot votes for candidates up and down Rhode Island's mid-term ballot.

The numbers as of 4:30 p.m. on Monday: A total of 101,283 out of a potential 815,417 voters cast their ballots early, either in-person at city and town halls during Rhode Island's 20-day early-voting period or by mail ballot. Of that number, 70,796 voted in-person and another 30,487 by mail ballot under the state's no-excuse absentee voting rules.

By way of comparison, the Board of Elections had received only 21,440 mail ballots by the eve of the last mid-term election, 2018, the last big statewide election before legislators formalized early in-person voting as an option.

The leaders of the pack this year in early voting were Rhode Island's second and third largest cities – Cranston and Warwick – which are considered crucial to the outcome of the hotly contested and nationally watched contest for the 2nd Congressional District seat to be vacated by long-time U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin, a Democrat.

Warwick led with 8,100 early and mail ballot votes, followed by Cranston with 6,734, most coming from people who voted early in-person rather than by mail ballot.

The state's biggest city – vote-rich Providence – followed with 6,317 early and mail-ballot voters in a year when the hotly contested mayor's race was effectively decided in the primary and there are few other big draws on the local ballot.

Another Democratic stronghold – Pawtucket – did not even make the top 10, with 2,893 pre-Election Day votes.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI election 2022 Stirred by abundance of issues, voters turn out