Laws governing local ballot measures in Rhode Island
This page describes the state constitutional provisions and statutes that govern local ballot measures in Rhode Island. Jurisdictions often establish additional rules within the parameters of state law; those can be found in local ordinances and home-rule charters.
- Laws addressing local ballot measure powers in Rhode Island
- General requirements for local ballot measures
- Rules for citizen-initiated local ballot measures
- Rules for referred local ballot measures
Law
The Rhode Island Constitution and Rhode Island General Laws establish the rules that govern local ballot measures in the state.
- Constitution: Article XIII, Rhode Island Constitution
- Statutes: Rhode Island General Laws, Chapter 25.2
General
The following outlines the general rules that govern local ballot measures in Rhode Island, including both citizen-initiated measures and referred measures from local government bodies.
- Election timing: In Rhode Island, election timing differs depending on how the measure was placed on the ballot:
- For measures that the Rhode Island General Assembly tries to provide for a specific municipality, Article XIII, Section 4 of the Rhode Island Constitution states that they must appear during a general or special election.
- For the adoption and amendment of charters, Article XIII, Section 7 and Article XIII, Rhode Island Constitution#Section 8, Article XIII, Section 8of the Rhode Island Constitution, respectively, state that an election must be held within one year from the date of an election of a charter commission.
- Vote requirements: All local ballot measures in Rhode Island require a simple majority vote to be approved.[1][2]
- Required ballot measures: The Rhode Island General Laws require voter-approved ballot measures for the following:Rhode Island Legislature, "R.I. Gen. Laws § 45-12-20," accessed December 23, 2025</ref>
- All measures related to issuing bonds.
Initiatives
The following outlines the general rules that govern local citizen-initiated ballot measures in Rhode Island.
- Authority:
- Article XIII, Section 6 of the Rhode Island Constitution grants voters the authority to submit a petition for the adoption of a charter.
- There are no statewide rules for local ballot initiatives. Specific rules are published in local charter amendments and ordinances.
- Signatures:
- Initiatives proposing the adoption of a charter must be signed by at least 15% of the qualified electors of a city or town, but not less than 100 in number, of those persons qualified on any proposition to impose a tax for the expenditure of money.
- There are no statewide signature requirements for local ballot initiatives. Specific rules are published in local charter amendments and ordinances.
- Deadline: There are no statewide deadlines for submitting signatures for initiatives. Specific deadlines are published in local charters and ordinances.
Referrals
The following outlines the general rules that govern local referred ballot measures in Rhode Island.
- Authority:
- Article XIII, Section 4 of the Rhode Island Constitution provides the Rhode Island General Assembly the authority to refer measures to the ballot in municipalities.
- Article XIII, Section 8 of the Rhode Island Constitution provides local legislative bodies the authority to refer charter amendments to the ballot for voter approval.
- Deadline: There are no statewide deadlines for legislative referrals. Specific deadlines are published in local charters and ordinances.
Laws governing local ballot measures in the U.S.
Laws governing local ballot measures in the United States
As state laws govern ballot measures, the rules are different from state to state. Click on a state below to explore that state's laws on local ballot measures.
See also
- Laws governing local ballot measures
- Laws governing local ballot measures in Rhode Island
- Local ballot measures, Rhode Island
- Counties in Rhode Island
Footnotes
