State of Rhode Island Voting Requirements & Information
Statewide Voter Information
U.S. Domestic Voters
Federal and State Elections |
|
|---|---|
Rhode Island Presidential Preference Primary Election held on Tue Jun 2, 2020 |
|
Type |
Deadlines |
New Voter Registration |
Sun May 3, 2020 |
Absentee Ballot Request |
Received by Tue May 12, 2020 4:00pm EDT |
Absentee Ballot Return |
Tue Jun 2, 2020 8:00pm EDT |
In-Person Absentee Voting |
none on record |
Early Voting |
none on record |
| Primary election will be a substantially vote-by-mail election. Please visit your local clerk's office for more information. | |
Rhode Island State Primary Election held on Tue Sep 8, 2020 |
|
|---|---|
Type |
Deadlines |
New Voter Registration |
Sun Aug 9, 2020 |
Absentee Ballot Request |
Tue Aug 18, 2020 4:00pm EDT |
Absentee Ballot Return |
Tue Sep 8, 2020 8:00pm EDT |
In-Person Absentee Voting |
none on record |
Early Voting |
none on record |
Rhode Island General Election held on Tue Nov 3, 2020 |
|
|---|---|
Type |
Deadlines |
New Voter Registration |
Sun Oct 4, 2020 |
Absentee Ballot Request |
Fri Oct 16, 2020 4:00pm EDT |
Absentee Ballot Return |
Tue Nov 3, 2020 8:00pm EST |
In-Person Absentee Voting |
none on record |
Early Voting |
none on record |
Registration
You can register to vote or update your registration information:
- online
- by mail
- in person at your elections office
Election Day Voting
Polling places are open from 7am to 8pm on Election Day. New Shoreham polls are open at 9am.
Find my polling place
Absentee Voting
Note: no specific reason is necessary to request a vote-by-mail ballot. If you may not be able to get to the polls on Election Day, you can fill out a mail ballot application and receive a mail ballot.
A registered voter can also request to vote by mail if they fall into one of the following categories:
- A voter who may not be able to vote at his or her polling place in his or her city or town on the day of the election.
- A voter who is incapacitated to the extent that it would be an undue hardship to vote at the polls because of illness, mental or physical disability, blindness, or serious impairment of mobility.
- A voter who is confined to any hospital, convalescent home, nursing home, rest home, or similar institution, public or private, within the State of Rhode Island.
- A voter who will be temporarily absent from the State because of employment or service intimately connected with military operations or who is a spouse or legal dependent residing with that person, or a United States citizen that will be outside of the United States.
You are eligible to vote in Rhode Island if you:
- Are a U.S citizen
- Are a resident of Rhode Island
- Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
You may preregister to vote in Rhode Island
- at the age 16
Voter Registration
To register to vote in Rhode Island you should provide one of the following:
- The Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number
- Your Rhode Island Driver's License Number
- Your Rhode Island ID Number
If you do not have any of these IDs, you will be required to provide ID to an election official before voting the first time. Acceptable forms of ID include:
- Valid Employee ID
- Valid Student ID
- Debit or Credit Card
- Medicare
- University Tuition Bill
- Public Housing ID Card
- Government Check
- Valid
Voter ID Card - Bank Statement
- Paycheck that Shows your current name and address
- Medicaid Card issued by the government
- Health Club ID Card
- Valid US Passport
- Valid
issued ID - Valid Military ID
- ID Card provided by a commercial establishment
- University Housing Bill
- Insurance Plan ID Card
- Valid Federal issued ID
- Utility Bill
Statements, checks and bills should be dated no earlier than the date of the last election
Voting In-Person
In Rhode Island, you need to show a valid ID to vote. You can use any ID from this list:
- Valid Rhode Island Voter ID Card with Photo
- Valid Federal Issued ID
- Valid Military ID
- Valid Rhode Island Driver's License
- Valid Student ID
- Government Issued Medical Card
- Valid US Passport
- Valid Rhode Island Issued ID
Domestic Voter |
In-Person | Fax | Online | ||
Voter Registration |
- | - | |||
Absentee Ballot Request |
- | - | - | ||
Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |
- | - | - | ||
Blank Ballot To Voter |
- | - | - | - |
Am I Registered? |
https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ |
Where is my Ballot? |
https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ |
Where is my Polling Place? |
https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ |
Can I Register to Vote Online? |
https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ |
State Elections Website |
https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ |
Can I View my Sample Ballot? |
https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ |
State Voter Registration FAQ |
https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ovr/voters/voter_faq |
Overseas / Military Voter Information |
https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ovr/voters/vote_by_mail |
Overseas & Military Voters
Rhode Island Presidential Preference Primary Election held on Tue Jun 2, 2020 |
||
|---|---|---|
Type |
Deadlines |
|
| Overseas | Military | |
Absentee Voter Registration |
Not Required | Not Required |
Ballot Request for Registered Voter |
Received by Tue May 12, 2020 4:00pm EDT | Received by Tue May 12, 2020 4:00pm EDT |
Ballot Return |
Received by Tue Jun 2, 2020 8:00pm EDT | Received by Tue Jun 2, 2020 8:00pm EDT |
| Primary election will be a substantially vote-by-mail election. Please visit your local clerk's office for more information. | ||
Rhode Island State Primary Election held on Tue Sep 8, 2020 |
||
|---|---|---|
Type |
Deadlines |
|
| Overseas | Military | |
Absentee Voter Registration |
Not Required | Not Required |
Ballot Request for Registered Voter |
Received by Tue Aug 18, 2020 4:00pm EDT | Received by Tue Aug 18, 2020 4:00pm EDT |
Ballot Return |
Received by Tue Sep 8, 2020 8:00pm EDT | Received by Tue Sep 8, 2020 8:00pm EDT |
Rhode Island General Election held on Tue Nov 3, 2020 |
||
|---|---|---|
Type |
Deadlines |
|
| Overseas | Military | |
Absentee Voter Registration |
Not Required | Not Required |
Ballot Request for Registered Voter |
Received by Fri Oct 16, 2020 4:00pm EDT | Received by Fri Oct 16, 2020 4:00pm EDT |
Ballot Return |
Received by Tue Nov 3, 2020 8:00pm EST | Received by Tue Nov 3, 2020 8:00pm EST |
Overseas Voters
U.S. citizens living abroad have the right to vote as absentee voters, provided they are eligible to vote in their state. If you are living outside of the U.S. permanently, indefinitely, or temporarily, your voting rights stay with you, even if you never voted when you lived in the U.S. To vote from overseas:
- Complete and send an overseas voter registration/ballot request form to your election office in the U.S. This is one specific form that will register you as an overseas voter and request your absentee ballot – simultaneously.
Many states allow children who were born overseas, but never lived in the U.S., to use their U.S. parents’ last residence address to register.
Military Voters
Service members and their eligible family members living outside their voting jurisdiction (within or outside the U.S.) are able to vote as absentee voters.
- If you are a service member, or an eligible family member, there is a single form to file for both voter registration and ballot request. It is often called the “Federal Post Card Application” or the FPCA form. This form must be re-filed with your election office each time you change location.
To vote as a service member or eligible family member:
- Complete and send a voter registration/ballot request form “FPCA” to your election office in the U.S. It is the same form in all states.
Voting Military
Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form ("FPCA"). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:
- U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
- Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
- Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
Voting Overseas
U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:
- U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
- Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
- Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
Overseas Voter |
In-Person | Fax | Online | ||
Voter Registration |
- | - | |||
Absentee Ballot Request |
- | - | |||
Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |
- | - | |||
Blank Ballot To Voter |
- | ||||
| A faxed voter registration/ballot request form must also be followed up with the original, signed form in the mail. The FPCA must be completed entirely to request a ballot only. A voted ballot may be returned by fax only if initially received by fax. | |||||
Military Voter |
In-Person | Fax | Online | ||
Voter Registration |
- | - | |||
Absentee Ballot Request |
- | - | |||
Voted-Absentee Ballot Return |
- | - | |||
Blank Ballot To Voter |
- | ||||
| A faxed voter registration/ballot request form must also be followed up with the original, signed form in the mail. The FPCA must be completed entirely to request a ballot only. A voted ballot may be returned by fax only if initially received by fax. | |||||
Am I Registered? |
https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ |
Where is my Ballot? |
https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ |
Where is my Polling Place? |
https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ |
Can I Register to Vote Online? |
https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ |
State Elections Website |
https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ |
Can I View my Sample Ballot? |
https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ |
State Voter Registration FAQ |
https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ovr/voters/voter_faq |
Overseas / Military Voter Information |
https://vote.sos.ri.gov/ovr/voters/vote_by_mail |