Lottery to determine ballot placement for primary, general election candidates is Friday

Balls spin during a July 2023 lottery to determine the order of candidates' names on the 1st Congressional District Democratic primary ballot. (Michael Salerno/Rhode Island Current)

There’s no million-dollar jackpot in the Rhode Island Department of State Elections Division lottery.

Instead, the random number drawing scheduled for Friday afternoon awards placement for political parties and candidates on the state’s primary and general election ballots. It’s not exactly a coveted financial prize, even if the results are determined using former equipment donated by the Rhode Island Lottery.

But for political hopefuls competing in crowded primary or general election races, getting higher ballot placement can make a difference, at least “on the margins,” according to Adam Myers, an assistant professor of political science at Providence College.

“A small number of voters are influenced by that,” Myers said in a recent interview, adding that “name recognition is much more important.”

Certain ballot spots on the Sept. 10 primary ballot are already predetermined based on which candidates received the endorsement of their state or district committee. Rhode Island is one of three states, along with Connecticut and New Jersey, where pre-primary endorsements determine ballot placement. Other races  — including 54 state legislative seats — feature only a single candidate in both the primary and general elections, making ballot placement irrelevant.

The lottery matters more for a select few primaries set to feature three or more candidates, such as the five-way Democratic primary to fill the open seat left by Sen. Josh Miller. It will also determine which political party – Republican or Democrat — is listed first on the ballot, and the order for independent candidates in the Nov. 5 general election, according to the Department of State.

The event is slated for 5 p.m. Friday at the state Elections Division offices, 148 West River St. in Providence. It will also be livestreamed on Facebook.

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