Common Cause Calls for Immediate Overhaul of RI Election Process

RHODE ISLAND—Common Cause Rhode Island is calling for immediate improvements to the voting process in Rhode Island after long lines and confusion during Tuesday's presidential primary.

"Too many eligible voters showed up at the wrong polling place, or waited an unnecessary amount of time to cast their ballot," said John Marion, executive director of Common Cause. "While we have been working to modernize our election in Rhode Island, yesterday tells us that we need to speed up that process."

Common Cause, a nonpartisan, pro-ethics and good government organization, is lobbying lawmakers at the State House to pass a pair of bills that would create an early voting system that would include weekends.

Common Cause is also calling for:

• An appropriation in the upcoming budget to buy electronic poll books, a measure Governor Gina Raimondo included in her proposed budget. The technology will "speed the processing of voters at the polling place, reducing lines for voters," according to a Common Cause news release.
• The filling of vacancies on the state Board of Elections. On Primary Day, the board "met with barely enough members to perform their official functions." If one fewer board member showed up at Tuesday's meeting, the board "would not have been available and Rhode Island would have been a national embarrassment," Marion said.
• A limit of 6,000 registered voters at any polling location. In regular elections, the cap is 3,000 but there is no cap for presidential preference primaries. Though the cost savings for cities and towns by opening fewer polling places is significant, it leads to problems. "We need a similar cap on the number of voters for the PPP to help prevent voters from having to travel significant distances to their polling places."

"Swift action by our leaders will ensure that all eligible Rhode Islanders will not be unduly burdened as they exercise their right to vote," the release stated.