Election laws and legislation in Rhode Island

	;
Election Administration Legislation
	Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
	Legislation categories
	2025 bills
Enacted • Absentee/mail-in voting • Early voting • Electoral systems • Felon voting rights • Private funding • Primary systems • Redistricting • Voter identification
	The Ballot Bulletin newsletter
	State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
	Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its election law.
	AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingSubmit

Election law encompasses a wide array of issues, including voter registration, ballot access, early voting, absentee/mail-in voting and voter identification requirements. The laws governing the administration of elections can vary significantly from state to state and even between jurisdictions within states. This article identifies the statutory source of election law in Rhode Island and compiles information on proposed and enacted legislation that would modify election law in Rhode Island.

Analysis

2024

Rhode Island adopted 20 new election laws in 2024, including changes to unaffiliated voting in partisan primaries, a tweak to expand post-election audits, and requirements for the use of plain language in ballot questions. Lawmakers also passed laws establishing new ways to verify and challenge candidate nominating signatures and changing requirements related to drop boxes.

H7662 allows unaffiliated voters to vote in a partisan primary without affiliating with that party. Affiliated voters would still need to change their party before the voter registration deadline to vote in a different party’s primary.
H7849 moves the date on which election officials establish ballot drop boxes from 20 days before an election to 35 days and requires officials to lock drop boxes at the close of polls on Election Day.
H7476 establishes that ballot questions must be phrased at an eighth-grade reading level.
H7328 expands the state’s risk-limiting post-election audit to include “state” instead of “statewide” elections, thereby expanding their use to general assembly elections.
H7664 makes several changes to the nomination process for candidates, including requiring an affidavit for signature gatherers, allowing any representative of a campaign to challenge nomination signatures, and establishing a new process for reporting and investigating fraud in nomination papers for federal, local, and state offices.

Election law in Rhode Island

See also: Election administration in Rhode Island

The laws governing elections in Rhode Island are contained in Title 17 of the Rhode Island General Laws.

Election legislation in Rhode Island

2025

The embedded table below lists all election-related bills introduced in Rhode Island in 2025. The following information is included for each bill:

State
Bill number
Official bill name or caption
Most recent action date
Legislative status
Sponsor party
Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.

2024

The embedded table below lists all election-related bills introduced in Rhode Island in 2024. The following information is included for each bill:

State
Bill number
Official bill name or caption
Most recent action date
Legislative status
Sponsor party
Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.

2023

The embedded table below lists all election-related bills introduced in Rhode Island in 2023. The following information is included for each bill:

State
Bill number
Official bill name or caption
Most recent action date
Legislative status
Sponsor party
Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.

2022

The embedded table below lists all election-related bills introduced in Rhode Island in 2022. The following information is included for each bill:

State
Bill number
Official bill name or caption
Most recent action date
Legislative status
Sponsor party
Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.

Election policy ballot measures

See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of Rhode Island ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Rhode Island.

The Ballot Bulletin

The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.

Recent issues

Click below to view recent issues of The Ballot Bulletin.

Subscribe

Enter your email address below to subscribe to The Ballot Bulletin.

Election administration agencies

Election agencies

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Rhode Island can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Rhode Island Local Boards of Canvassers

Click here for a list

State of Rhode Island Board of Elections

2000 Plainfield Pike, Suite A

Cranston, Rhode Island 02921

Phone: 401-222-2345

Fax: 401-222-3135

Email: boe.elections@elections.ri.gov

Website: https://elections.ri.gov

Rhode Island Department of State Elections Division

148 West River Street

Providence, Rhode Island 02904-2615