Rhode Island

The polls must be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Election Day. The only exception is New Shoreham (Block Island), where the polls must be open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time (except for presidential primaries, when New Shoreham polls must be open from 12:00 p.m.). A voter who is waiting in line by 8:00 p.m. must be allowed to vote. (Please note Burrillville, Charlestown, Hopkinton, Jamestown, Little Compton, Richmond, and Westerly open at 9:00 am in special elections.)

Voters can find their polling place and their personal Voter Information Center: https://vote.sos.ri.gov/Home/UpdateVoterRecord?ActiveFlag=0

Registration Deadlines

• For registration deadlines, see How to Register below.

How to Check Your Registration: Voters can determine whether they are registered to vote at the following link: Am I Registered?.

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 are NOT eligible to vote in Rhode Island if:

• You are in prison or jail for a felony conviction.
• You were disqualified from voting due to a court order

Restorative Requirements

• If you have completed a felony prison sentence, even if you are still on parole or probation, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote.

You may preregister to vote in Rhode Island

• At the age 16

How to register 

A voter may be eligible to register to vote if they are: 

• A citizen of the United States
• A resident of the Rhode Island city or town where the voter wishes to vote (for 30 days preceding the next election)
• At least 16 years of age (but cannot vote until 18)

A voter may not register to vote if they are: 

• Judged mentally incompetent by a court of law
• A convicted felon still in prison. Once released, the department of corrections shall notify individuals that their voting rights have been restored, provide them with a voter registration form, offer assistance in filling out the form, and transmit the form to the state board or the local Board where the individual resides.

Voters can register to vote online on the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s “Voter Information Center” or by paper submission. If eligible, the voter will automatically be registered to vote when they interact with the DMV unless they opt out.

The voter can determine whether they are registered to vote by checking the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s “Voter Information Center” webpage. Voters will need to provide their name, date of birth, and zip code. 

Voters may affiliate with a party when they register or register as unaffiliated (aka Independent.) Persons registered as affiliated with a party may only vote in that party’s primary. Unaffiliated voters may vote in any primary at which point they become affiliated with the party in whose primary they vote. Voters can change affiliations. See: Party Affiliation

Voters must apply to register to vote 30 calendar days before an election the voter intends to vote in.   For the 2022 primary election, this deadline is August 14, 2022. For the 2022 General Election, this deadline is October 9, 2022.

If You Want to Vote Absentee, requests may be made:

• In-Person
• By Mail

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

• In-Person
• By Mail

All registered voters may vote by mail. For more information on how to cast a mail ballot, Rhode Island Secretary of State’s “Vote from Home with a Mail Ballot” Website. 

Voters must submit their mail ballot application by hand or by mail and it must be received by 4 pm on the day of the deadline. 

Every mail ballot includes a postage-paid return envelope so voters can easily return their mail ballot for free. Voters may also hand-deliver it to their local board of canvassers, drop it in a secure 24-hour drop box, or give it to someone to return it for the voter. See: Drop Box Locator
All mail ballots must be received by the State Board of Elections by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. See Rhode Island VoteByMail

Voter Registration

To register to vote in Rhode Island you should provide one of the following:

• 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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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

For mail ballots, the signature on the mail ballot will be compared to the signature in the voter record. It is a felony to fill out a mail ballot application or a mail ballot fraudulently.
No eligible voter will be turned away at the polls. Voters who do not bring ID to the polls can vote using a standard provisional ballot, which will be counted if the signature they give at the polling place matches the signature on their voter registration card. See Rhode Island Voter ID Information: https://vote.sos.ri.gov/Content/Pdfs/voter_id_information.pdf

All Rhode Island voters can vote by mail. 

If the voter is registered to vote in another state, but living temporarily in Rhode Island, they can still vote in their state’s election with a mail ballot.

If the voter moved to their current address less than 30 days before the election, they are eligible to vote at their previous assigned polling place associated with their previous address’s assigned polling place. 

If the voter moved more than 30 days before the election but within the same City/Town as their previous address, they vote at the polling location associated with their new address.

If the voter moved to a new City/Town 30 days or more, but less than 6 months, before the election they are eligible to vote a Limited Ballot at the Board of Canvassers of their previous City/Town of registration.

If the voter moved from a different state, they must register 30 days before the election EXCEPT in a presidential election when they are eligible to vote for President/Vice-President only. 
See Chart on Rhode Island Board of Elections Website: https://elections.ri.gov/publications/Election_Publications/Voter_Info/voter_affirmation_chart_11_2008.pdf

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

Your state does not require an ID to be provided in order to register your ballot.

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

Your state does not require an ID to be provided in order to register your ballot.

Rhode Island military/overseas voters use a special process to receive and return their mail ballot. The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) provides step-by-step guidance on how a military/overseas voter can apply for and receive their mail ballot.

A resident of Rhode Island who has been convicted of a felony and is currently incarcerated may not vote in Rhode Island elections. However, voting rights are restored to all Rhode Island residents who have been released from incarceration or who were never incarcerated following felony convictions. Upon release from incarceration, the department of corrections shall notify individuals that their voting rights have been restored, provide them with a voter registration form, offer assistance in filling out the form, and transmit the form to the state board or the local Board where the individual resides.