Voter Registration Day: Deadlines For Voting In Nov. 7 RI Elections

RHODE ISLAND — The drive to get people to the polls for the Nov. 7 off-year elections in Rhode Island starts in earnest Tuesday, Sept. 19, with National Voter Registration Day, a nonpartisan civic holiday observed for the past decade to reach tens of thousands of Americans who might not otherwise register.

A step-by-step process on the National Voter Registration Day website guides potential voters through registration. For all potential voters: Check your registration status, especially if you’ve moved since you last voted, recently turned 18 or changed your name.

Successfully registering now ensures eligibility to vote in Rhode Island’s Nov. 7 elections, where the most prominent race on the ballot is for the special election to fill the U.S. Congressional seat in District 1. There, Democratic former White House aide Gabe Amo will square off against Republican U.S. Marine veteran Gerry Leonard to fill former Rep. David Cicilline's seat.

One of the most important dates to remember in Rhode Island: Oct. 8, is the last date to register to be eligible to vote in the Nov. 7 election. The mail ballot application deadline is Oct. 17, and early voting begins Oct.18.

More than 5 million Americans have registered to vote in the Voter Registration Day project to date. Last year, 414,016 people registered to vote for the first time on the day of the observance. More information can be found in the 2022 annual report.

U.S. states have passed a near-record number of laws that restrict voting rights so far in 2023, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute.

The Brennan Center noted that the near-record pace of laws tightening restrictions was fueled by a still active 2020 presidential election denial movement, but has been matched by moves in state legislatures to boost voting access.

In fact, the policy institute said, more expansive than restrictive laws were passed this year. Geographic divisions persist, though.

Calling it a “troubling development,” the Brennan Center noted that some legislatures have targeted direct democracy with limits on the way voters can pass ballot measure. The Brennan Center also noted a push to criminalize more aspects of voting and election administration.

At the same times, several states provided legal protections for election workers as they face increased threats to their safety.