RI Voters Reminded To Deposit Ballots In Drop Boxes By Deadline

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea is reminding voters who requested a mail ballot for the March 2 statewide special election that all ballots must be received by the Board of Elections or placed in a secure elections drop box by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 2. Ballots postmarked on or before March 2 but received after the deadline will not be accepted.

"If you haven't returned your special election mail ballot yet, don't risk having it arrive late by mail," said Secretary Gorbea in a media release. "Using a secure elections drop box is now the best way to ensure your mail ballot is received in time to be counted."

Secure drop boxes are located in every city and town in Rhode Island, and voters can use any drop box to return their mail ballot. Voters can use the state's drop box finder to find one close to their home or workplace, and track the status of their ballot online at vote.ri.gov.

Mail ballots can also be dropped off in person at your local board of canvassers. Addresses and contact information are available on vote.ri.gov. Voters are encouraged to contact their local board of canvassers before dropping off a mail ballot in person, as business hours may vary during the pandemic.

Voting from home is one of three safe and secure options Rhode Islanders have for casting a ballot in the March 2 special election, Gorbea said. Voters also have the choice of voting early in-person or voting at the polls on Election Day. If a voter plans to vote in person but is suddenly unable to — for example, because of an unexpected quarantine — they should contact their local board of canvassers to obtain an emergency mail ballot.

On March 2, Rhode Island voters will go to the polls to weigh in on seven bond issues totaling around $400 million. Governor Gina Raimondo certified the bond issues for the March ballot when she signed the 2021 fiscal year budget on December 18, 2020.