Raymond Baccari
Editor-in-Chief
There is just one week left until Rhode Islanders head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Voters will decide who wins the open seat for Rhode Island’s Second Congressional District, governor, local legislator seats and a lot more.
Those who are registered to vote have a couple options for how they can cast their ballot. People who applied for a mail ballot application by Oct. 18, can vote by mail. These ballots must be received by The Board of Elections no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day. Additional information on how to fill out and send a mail ballot can be found here.
Maybe voting by mail may not be someone’s ideal method. There is also the option to vote early. Rhode Island’s early voting period goes until Monday, Nov. 7. Every municipality has their own location and hours for residents to vote early.
If the tradition of voting on Election Day is preferred, polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., except for in New Shoreham, where the hours go from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. A valid photo ID is required to vote in person. Rhode Islanders can find their local polling place here.
The Secretary of State says acceptable photo IDs to vote in person are:
RI driver's license/permit.
US passport.
ID card issued by any federally recognized tribal government.
ID card issued by an educational institution in the United States.
US military identification card.
ID card issued by the US government or State of Rhode Island (RIPTA bus pass, etc.)
Government issued medical card.
RI Voter ID card.
People who don’t have any of the acceptable photo IDs can visit here to view the process for obtaining a free voter ID card. Those who don’t have a photo ID from the list can also cast a provisional ballot.
There are several key races on the ballot. Below is a list of who is running for each statewide and federal office in Rhode Island.
Congressional District 1; only voters living in this district can vote for this race:
Allen Waters (R).
Congressional District 2; only voters living in this district can vote for this race:
Seth Magaziner (D).
Allan Fung (R).
William Gilbert (M)
Congressman Jim Langevin announced he wouldn’t seek reelection this year, opening up the seat for Congressional District 2.
Governor:
Gov. Dan McKee (D).
Ashley Kalus (R).
Elijah Gizzarelli (L).
Paul Rianna Jr. (I).
Zachary Hurwitz (I).
Lieutenant Governor:
Aaron Guckian (R).
Ross McCurdy (I).
Attorney General:
Secretary of State:
Pat Cortellessa (R).
The current Secretary of State, Nellie Gorbea, is term-limited for this office.
General Treasurer:
James Diossa (D).
James Lathrop (R).
The current General Treasurer, Magaziner, is term-limited for this office.
Seats for State Representative and Senator will vary based on where the voter lives, as they are broken up into districts. Rhode Islanders can find out who they’re state legislators are here. Certain cities and towns will have ballot initiatives specifically for their voters to vote on. All the statewide and local ballot questions are viewable here.
All classes at RIC on Tuesday will be canceled, allowing students to exercise their civic duty.
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