Low Turnout Likely for RI Primary Tuesday

RHODE ISLAND—Polls open at the majority of polling places across Rhode Island at 7 a.m. Tuesday for a statewide primary that is not expected to generate strong turnout.

But a few key races could prove pivotal for shaping the dynamics of several contests heading toward the general election this November, including a very competitive three-way race for Democrat Teresa Tanzi's seat in House District 34—including Tanzi—a Republican contest in Cranston between Steve Frias and Shawna L. Lawton, the winner challenging Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello; a Democratic primary in District 72 between former Rep. Linda D. Finn and newcomer James J. Cawley, who got the backing of the Democratic State Committee, surprising some. Finn, a founding member of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence, has always been considered considerably more progressive than the rest of the relatively conservative General Assembly Democrats, many who are pro-life and graded highly by the National Rifle Association.

Other longtime Democrats are facing challenges, including from some progressives embracing the energy of the Bernie Sanders movement.

National seats held U.S. Rep. David N. Cicilline and Congressman James Langevin are also up for grabs in the primary. Cicilline is being challenged by perennial candidate and Christopher F. Young, who has waged 10 unsuccessful electoral bids for various seats statewide and in Providence so far.

Langevin is facing a primary challenge from former Bernie Sanders delegate John D. Hamilton S., also the chairman of the Charlestown Democratic Committee; and Steven Archer, a former Republican and paratrooper.

At the polls, voters will encounter new equipment, including a scanning system that can read the back of a Rhode Island driver's license and display voter information and even offer driving directions to the correct polling place if you show up at the wrong spot.

Voters will also fill in an oval instead of draw a line while voting on paper ballots, which will be fed into new ballot tabulation machines. The state spent $9.28 million on technology upgrades, including equipment to transmit results to the Board of Elections wirelessly instead of over dial-up modem connections akin to connecting to AOL in the 1990s.

"By updating our voting equipment, we are updating Democracy's infrastructure" said Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea.

The machines were manufactured by Nebraska's Elections Systems and Software.

Where to find your polling place, etc:

The easiest and fastest way to find your polling place is to go to the state's Voter Information Center.

https://vote.sos.ri.gov/

A detailed voter guide that outlines the process to register to vote (it's too late for the primary, but you can register for the general election) and other topics can be found here:

http://sos.ri.gov/assets/downl...

Election results will start getting reported on Tuesday night after polls close at 8 p.m.

All polls open at 7 a.m. except for in Hopkinton, New Shoreham and Westerly, where they open at 9 a.m. and Jamestown, where polls open at 8 a.m.