RHODE ISLAND

Voter Registration Deadline: 30 days before Election Day.

Same day registration is also available for presidential elections. However, if you register the day of the Presidential Election, you will only be allowed vote for the President and Vice President.

2024 Election Information

State Primary Election: September 10, 2024

• Voter Registration Deadline: August 11

• Mail-in Ballot Application Deadline: August 20

General Election: November 5, 2024

• Voter Registration Deadline: October 6

• Mail-in Ballot Application Deadline: October 15

More election information at:

vote.sos.ri.gov/

Online voter registration available at:

vote.sos.ri.gov/Home/RegistertoVote?ActiveFlag=1

Mail-in PDF voter registration form available at:

elections.ri.gov/sites/g/files/xkgbur756/files/2022-02/ri_registration_form_eng_rev_6-26-2020.pdf

Students have a decision about where to register to vote.

You have a right to register to vote at the address you consider the place where you live, whether that is your family’s home or the place where you attend school. You should update your registration anytime this home address changes.

You may only be registered and vote in one location.

Rhode Island’s online form requires your Rhode Island driver’s license or ID number. Rhode Island’s paper voter registration form asks for your Rhode Island driver’s license or ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.

Rhode Island law requires voters to show a valid photo ID that is unexpired or expired for no more than 6 months when they vote in person. The list of acceptable forms of ID includes:

• Rhode Island driver’s license or permit

• Rhode Island voter ID card

• United States passport

• Student ID card issued by a U.S. educational institution

• United States military ID card

• ID card issued by the United States or the State of Rhode Island

• Government issued medical card

• Tribal ID

Registered voters who don’t have an acceptable photo ID can get a free voter ID at the Election Division office during normal business hours or select other locations on specific days. For more information, contact the Election Division at 401–222–2340 or elections@sos.ri.gov.

Voters who do not bring an acceptable ID to their polling place can vote using a standard provisional ballot. The ballot will be counted if the signature given at their polling place matches the signature on the voter registration.

Make a plan. Check your voter registration and absentee ballot status, or look up your voting site and hours at:

vote.sos.ri.gov/Home/UpdateVoterRecord?ActiveFlag=0

By Mail: Any registered voter may vote by mail. The mail ballot application form is available at:

vote.sos.ri.gov/Forms/elections/Forms/voter_registration_form.pdf.

• Mail-in Ballot Application Deadline: Applications to vote by mail must be received by the local board of canvassers no later than 4 p.m. on the 21st day before Election Day.

• Completed Mail Ballot Return Deadline: You can return your mail-in ballot by mail, in-person at the State Board of Election’s office, or in-person at a designated drop box. The State Board of 

Elections must receive the completed mail ballot by close of polls on Election Day. Find a list of drop-box locations at: https://elections.ecms.ri.gov/voter-registration/election-drop-boxes

Voters with disabilities may request to receive their ballot electronically. More information is available at: vote.sos.ri.gov/Voter/AccessibleVoting.

Early In-Person: Any registered voter may cast an early ballot in person at their city or town hall during their regular business hours, in the 20 days before Election Day. Contact your local board of canvassers for their normal business hours.

Election Day: Most voting sites will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. If you are in line by the closing time, you have a right to vote.

Find a complete list of polling place hours at: elections.ri.gov/polling-hours.

Does Registering to Vote Affect my Federal Financial Aid?

Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants, Perkins or Stafford loans, or your dependency status for FAFSA.

Does Registering to Vote Affect my Status as a Dependent on My Parents’ Taxes?

Being registered to vote at a different address from your parents does not prevent them from claiming you as a dependent on their taxes.

Does Registering to Vote impact my Tuition Status?

Being deemed out-of-state for tuition purposes does not prevent you from choosing to register to vote in your campus community.

Will registering to vote in Rhode Island affect my driver’s license or car registration?

As a new Rhode Island resident, you may have to obtain a Rhode Island driver’s license and update your car’s registration, regardless of whether you register to vote there. For more information, you may wish to contact the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles.