Mail ballots for the CD1 primary election are available. Here's how to get one.
PROVIDENCE – The secretary of state's office has launched a new online application portal for registered Rhode Island voters to request a mail ballot for the Sept. 5 1st Congressional District special primary election
Ballots have to be requested before the August 15 application deadline.
“Today’s announcement is an important step forward in our work to modernize and strengthen our elections system,” Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore said Tuesday.
Can Rhode Island mail ballots be cast online?
The ballots cannot be cast online, as some advocates hoped at an earlier point in the push-and-pull debate over how to make voting easier without compromising election-security.
Who can request a mail ballot?
Anyone seeking to use the online application must be a registered Rhode Island voter with a Rhode Island-issued driver’s license or state identification card. The portal can be accessed online, in English and in Spanish, at vote.ri.gov.
The process to complete and return a mail ballot has not changed, whether the ballot was requested through the online application portal or by a paper form.
Let RI Vote Act created online mail ballot applications
Online applications for mail ballots were authorized through the Let RI Vote Act, sponsored by House Majority Whip Katherine Kazarian and in the Senate, by Senate Judiciary Chair Dawn Euer and signed into law in June of 2022.
“This is an exciting announcement that improves voter access by expanding the ways Rhode Islanders can apply for a mail ballot,” said Kazarian in a press release circulated by the secretary of state's office.
“Increasing the accessibility of our elections strengthens our democracy,” said Euer. “I’m proud to see the implementation of this important piece of the Let RI Vote Act. A simple, secure way to request a mail ballot is now available online for Rhode Islanders."
Paper applications are still available online at vote.ri.gov and in-person at local boards of canvassers and city or town halls.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI CD1 primary election mail ballots can be requested online. Here's how.
