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Voting By Mail Ballot In Rhode Island

ELIGIf you are a registered voter, you may vote by mail only if:

1... You will be absent from the state on election day during the entire time the polls are open;

2... You will be absent from the city or town of your voting residence during the entire time the polls are open because you are a student or spouse of a student at an institution of higher learning within the state;

3... It would be an undue hardship for you to vote at the polls because you are incapacitated due to illness or mental or physical disability, blindness  or serious impairment of mobility. 

4... You are forbidden by the tenets of your religious faith from voting on election day;

5... You are confined to a hospital, rest home, convalescent home, nursing home or similar institution, public or private;

6... You are being detained while awaiting trial or imprisoned for any cause other than final conviction of a felony;

7... You will be temporarily absent from the state because of employment or service connected with military operations or are a spouse or dependent of such a person;
(see below)

8... You are employed by the State Board of Elections or the local Board of Canvassers or a poll worker assigned to work on Election Day outside of your voting district;

HOW DO I APPLY FOR A MAIL BALLOT?

You must first submit an application for a mail ballot. You may download an application HERE ( scroll down to Mail Ballot Applications ) or obtain one from your local Board of Canvassers.  You may pick up an application from the local Board yourself, have another person pick one up for you or call your local Board and request that an application be sent to you. This application must be filled out, witnessed or notarized and delivered to the local Board so that it is received no later than 4:00 p.m. on the 21st day before the election or primary in which you wish to vote. The completed application may be mailed, dropped off by you or personally delivered by a person acting at your request.

All applications for mail ballots must be notarized OR witnessed by 2 persons who must sign their names and addresses.  Only applications obtained under category 7 do not need to be witnessed or notarized.

All inner ballot envelopes, except those applied for under categories 3 and 7, must be notarized or witnessed by 2 persons who must sign their names and addresses.

check boxIF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE ARMED FORCES & WILL BE ABSENT FROM THE STATE BY REASON OF BEING IN ACTIVE SERVICE:
                                                      OR
check box   IF YOU WILL BE ABSENT FROM THE STATE IN PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES INTIMATELY CONNECTED WITH MILITARY OPERATIONS:
                                                      OR
check boxIF YOU ARE A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES RESIDING OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES:

See the Voting Assistance Program guidelines and instructions and download an FPCA (Federal Post Card Application) card HERE

Rhode Island allows the FPCA card to be faxed but it must be faxed to the Office of the Secretary of State at (401) 222-1444 and must be received by the deadline for applying for absentee ballots (see Upcoming Elections). The Secretary of State will transmit ballots only to the fax number provided by the Federal Voter Assistance Program.  The ballots sent by electronic transmission must be returned to the Board of Elections by electronic transmission. The Board's fax number is (401) 222-3135.

EMERGENCY MAIL BALLOTS 

If circumstances arise within 20 days of the primary or election which prevent you from going to the polls to vote on election day, you may be eligible to vote an emergency mail ballot. 

Emergency mail ballots applied for under category (3) must be accompanied by a certificate from a physician or Christian Science practitioner. This certificate must contain the address of the physician or Christian Science practitioner, the date that the applicant was last examined or treated and attest to the fact that the illness, disability, blindness or serious impairment of mobility did not manifest itself until twenty (20) days or less prior to the primary or election. 

All emergency ballot envelopes, except those applied for under categories 3 and 7, must be notarized or witnessed by 2 persons who must sign their names and addresses.

  Call your local Board of Canvassers for more information.

 

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