ballotpedia.org

Voting in Rhode Island

From Ballotpedia

Election Information


2024 election dates and deadlines
Voting in 2024
Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
All-mail voting
Voter ID laws
State poll opening and closing times
Time off work for voting

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker

Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its voting policies.

The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.

This article includes the following information about voting policies in Rhode Island:

Voter registration details, including deadlines and eligibility requirements.
In-person voting details, including identification requirements, poll times, and early voting provisions.
Absentee/mail-in voting deadlines and rules.
Details about voting rules for people convicted of a felony.
Contact information election agencies.
Summaries of noteworthy policy-related events.

See Election administration in Rhode Island for more additional information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, and post-election auditing practices.

Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.

Voter registration

The table below displays voter registration information specific to Rhode Island's 2024 election cycle.

Eligibility and registration details

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Rhode Island, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Rhode Island, and at least 16 years old. To voter, one must be at least 18 years old by Election Day.^[1] Applicants can register online, by mailing in a voter registration form, or in person at the local board of canvassers or other state agencies such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Human Services, or the Department of Mental Health.^[1]

In-person voting

The table below displays in-person voting information specific to Rhode Island's 2024 election cycle.

Poll times

See also: State poll opening and closing times

Polls in Rhode Island open at 7 a.m. Eastern Time except in New Shoreham, where they open at 9 a.m. All polls statewide close at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.^[2]

Voter identification

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Rhode Island requires voters to present photo identification (ID) while voting. Accepted forms of ID include a Rhode Island driver's license, Rhode Island voter ID card, and U.S. passport. For a list of all accepted forms of ID, see below.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of April 2023. Click here for the Rhode Island Secretary of State page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

“

RI Driver's License or Permit
RI Voter ID Card *
U.S. Passport
ID issued by a U.S. educational institution
U.S. military ID
ID card issued by the United States or the State of Rhode Island
Government issued medical card
Tribal ID^[3]

”

*The Rhode Island Secretary of State's office is issuing free voter photo ID cards to individuals who do not possess any of the valid Photo IDs listed above. For additional information, visit Rhode Island's online Voter Information Center, call 401-222-2340, or email elections@sos.ri.gov.

Early voting

See also: Early voting

Rhode Island permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee/mail-in voting

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

The table below displays absentee voting information specific to Rhode Island's 2024 election cycle.

All Rhode Island voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail.^[4]

Absentee ballot applications must be received by your local board of canvassers by 4 p.m. 21 days prior to the election. Completed absentee ballots must then be received by your local board of canvassers by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Should circumstances arise within 20 days of an election that will prevent a voter from making it to the polls on Election Day, he or she may qualify for an emergency mail ballot. More information regarding the emergency mail ballot process can be found here.^[4]^[5]^[6]

Local election officials

Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

See also: Voting rights for people convicted of a felony

In Rhode Island, people convicted of a felony lose their right to vote while incarcerated. Upon completion of their prison time, voting rights are automatically restored when the person either notifies their local board of canvassers in writing or submits a new voter registration form. Click here for a list of local boards of canvassers.^[1]

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.^[7]

Election administration agencies

Election agencies

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Rhode Island can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Rhode Island Local Boards of Canvassers

Click here for a list

State of Rhode Island Board of Elections

2000 Plainfield Pike, Suite A

Cranston, Rhode Island 02921

Phone: 401-222-2345

Fax: 401-222-3135

Email: boe.elections@elections.ri.gov

Website: https://elections.ri.gov

Rhode Island Department of State Elections Division

148 West River Street

Providence, Rhode Island 02904-2615

Phone: 401-222-2340

Email: elections@sos.ri.gov

Website: https://vote.sos.ri.gov

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001

Phone: 301-563-3919

Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov

Website: https://www.eac.gov

Noteworthy events

2017

On July 19, 2017, Governor Gina Raimondo (D) signed into law H5702, making Rhode Island the ninth state to adopt automatic voter registration. H5702 cleared the Rhode Island House of Representatives on May 31, 2017, by a vote of 62-10 (with three members not voting). The Rhode Island State Senate approved H5702 on June 30, 2017, by a vote of 27-5 (with five members not voting). The law established that Rhode Island citizens be automatically registered to vote when they visit Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) branches for driver's license or personal identification document applications or renewals. The law was scheduled to take effect 30 days after the director of the DMV certified to state lawmakers that the state's motor vehicle licensing system could meet the requirements established by the law.^[8]^[9]^[10]

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker

State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.

Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:

Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan

The Ballot Bulletin

The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.

Recent issues

Click below to view recent issues of The Ballot Bulletin.

Enter your email address below to subscribe to The Ballot Bulletin.

Ballotpedia's election coverage

Click the tiles below to navigate to 2025 election coverage:

External links

Footnotes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Rhode Island Department of State, "Register to Vote," accessed April 18, 2023
↑ Rhode Island Department of State, "Election Day Voting Hours," accessed September 24, 2024
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Rhode Island Department of State, "Vote from Home with a Mail Ballot," accessed April 18, 2023
↑ Rhode Island Department of State, "Apply for a Mail Ballot," accessed April 18, 2023
↑ Rhode Island Department of State, "Vote by Emergency Mail Ballot," accessed April 18, 2023
↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023
↑ Rhode Island General Assembly, "H 5702," accessed July 20, 2017
↑ The Hill, "Rhode Island becomes ninth state to enact automatic voter registration," July 19, 2017
↑ U.S. News and World Report, "Governor OKs Rhode Island Automatic Voter Registration Bill," July 19, 2017

v • e Election information

Resources	Sample Ballot Lookup • Elections calendar • State poll opening and closing times • Ballot access for major and minor party candidates • Elections by state and year • State voter ID laws • Absentee voting • Early voting • Online voter registration • Election result canvassing • Where do I vote • List of absentee/mail-in ballot request websites by state • List of official voter registration websites by state • State of Election Administration Legislation Reports

Elections by state	Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

2025 elections	U.S. Congress special elections • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall

2024 elections	U.S. President • U.S. Congress • U.S. Congress special elections • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall

2023 elections	U.S. Congress special elections • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall

2022 elections	U.S. Congress • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall

2021 elections	U.S. Congress special elections • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall

2020 elections	U.S. President • U.S. Congress • State executives • State legislature • Statewide ballot measures • State judicial • Municipal government • Mayors • School boards • Local judicial • Local ballot measures • Recall

How to vote in each state	Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • Washington, D.C. • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

	v • e State of Rhode Island Providence (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? \| Elections in 2025 \| How to vote \| How to run for office \| Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? \| U.S. President \| U.S. Congress \| Federal courts \| State executives \| State legislature \| State and local courts \| Counties \| Cities \| School districts \| Public policy