(The Center Square) – A new online application is ready for Rhode Island voters to request mail-in ballots under state law.
The Department of State Elections Division portal is accepting applications, Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore said. The online application is open to voters who are registered in the state.
"Today's announcement is an important step forward in our work to modernize and strengthen our elections system," Amore said in a statement. “As Secretary of State, I will do everything I can to ensure the ballot box is accessible to all eligible voters, and this online application portal provides a new convenient and secure way to request a mail ballot."
According to a release, to use the online portal, voters must be registered in Rhode Island and hold a state-issued driver’s license or identification card. Plus, the Mail Ballot Application portal is accessible in English and Spanish at vote.ri.gov.
"This is an exciting announcement that improves voter access by expanding the ways Rhode Islanders can apply for a mail ballot," House Majority Whip Katherine Kazarian, D-East Providence, said in a statement. She sponsored the legislation.
As previously reported by The Center Square, the Let RI Vote Act, signed into law by Democratic Gov. Dan McKee on June 8, 2022, expanded voting access in the state while maintaining election integrity.
The Let RI Vote Act, sponsored by Kazarian and Sen. Dawn Euer, D-Newport, in identical bills passed in each chamber, permits voting by mail and online mail ballot applications. In addition, voters can use a mail or emergency ballot without explaining why they can’t vote in person.
"Increasing the accessibility of our elections strengthens our democracy," Senate Judiciary Chairwoman Dawn Euer said in a statement. "I'm proud to see the implementation of this important piece of the Let RI Vote Act. A simple, secure way to request a mail ballot is now available online for Rhode Islanders."
According to a release, the processes for completing and returning a mail ballot are the same, regardless of how the ballot was requested. Plus, paper applications remain available at vote.ri.go and in-person through city and town halls and boards of canvassers.
According to a release, Aug. 15 is the deadline for the Sept. 5 special primary election.