Rhode Island voting issues

2008 election
For the 2008 election Rhode Island used the following voting machines. For a county-by-county list of the specific machines (and the source for this section) see Verified Voting's Verifier tool.

Optical scan machines:
 * Election Systems & Software's Model 100 voting machine

Assistive Devices for Marking Paper Ballots:
 * Election Systems & Software's AutoMARK Technical Systems AutoMARK VAT

Governmental election authorities
Rhode Island Secretary of State

Description: Through our five divisions, we oversee elections, provide a variety of business services, help government agencies comply with the state Open Meetings act, register voters, assist in the creation of legislation and preserve hundreds of thousands of the state's most historic documents.
 * Secretary of state: A. Ralph Mollis

Website: http://www.sec.state.ri.us/

Contact information:
 * Secretary of State
 * 82 Smith Street
 * State House Room 217
 * Providence, RI 02903
 * Phone: 401-222-2357 Fax: 401-222-1356 TTY: 711


 * SECRETARY OF STATE A. RALPH MOLLIS [mailto:aralphmollis@sec.state.ri.us aralphmollis@sec.state.ri.us]
 * ELECTIONS & CIVICS [mailto:elections@sec.state.ri.us elections@sec.state.ri.us]

Felon voting rights
Quoting from an October, 2008 report on "de facto disenfranchisement" (summary)(download PDF) co-published by the Brennan Center for Justice and the ACLU:

"'In 2006, Rhode Island was the first state in the country where voters approved a ballot referendum to amend the state constitution to restore voting upon release from prison. But interviews in 2008 revealed that only 61% of local officials correctly stated that a person on probation is eligible to vote, and only 64% of election officials correctly stated that a person on parole is eligible to vote. Only six officials stated they had been trained on the new law.'"

See also "felon disenfranchisement" issue page

State and local non-governmental election organizations
Fair Vote Rhode Island


 * Website: http://fairvote.org/ri/

Contact information:
 * FairVote RI
 * 145 Wayland Ave,
 * Providence, RI 02906


 * Phone: 401.429.6059 Fax: 360.933.2456
 * email: [mailto:sledge@fairvote.org sledge@fairvote.org]

League of Women Voters

LWV of Rhode Island, Hollie Courage, President; Derwent J. Riding, Co-President
 * 172 Taunton Avenue
 * Unit 8
 * East Providence, RI 02914
 * Phone: 401-434-6440
 * E-mail: State@lwvri.org
 * http://www.lwvri.org

Local Leagues:
 * Bristol
 * Newport County
 * Providence
 * South Kingstown
 * West Bay