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Presidential election in Rhode Island, 2020

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Rhode Island
2020 presidential election

Democratic primary: June 2, 2020
Democratic winner: Joe Biden

Republican primary: June 2, 2020
Republican winner: Donald Trump

Electoral College: Four votes
2020 winner: Joe Biden (D)
2016 winner: Hillary Clinton (D)
2012 winner: Barack Obama (D)

Presidential election by state, 2020

Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) won the presidential election in Rhode Island on November 3, 2020. Biden won the presidential election with 306 electoral votes to President Donald Trump's (R) 232 electoral votes.

The Democratic and Republican parties held primary elections in Rhode Island on June 2, 2020. Governor Gina Raimondo (D) postponed the primary, originally scheduled for April 28, 2020, to June 2, 2020, in response to the coronavirus outbreak.[1] Biden won the Democratic primary, and Trump won the Republican primary.[2][3]

Heading into the 2020 election, Rhode Island was one of five states with four votes in the Electoral College, making it tied for 39th-most. Rhode Island was carried by the Democratic presidential nominee in every election between 1988 and 2016; the last Republican to carry the state was Ronald Reagan (R). Between 1900 and 2016, Rhode Island was carried by the Democratic presidential candidate in 66.67% of elections and by the Republican in 33.33%.

In the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton (D) carried Rhode Island with 54.4% of the vote to Trump's 38.9%.

This page includes the following sections:

Candidates and election results

General election


Presidential election in Rhode Island, 2020
 
Candidate/Running mate
%
Popular votes
Electoral votes
✔
Image of
Image of
Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D)
 
59.4
 
307,486 4
Image of
Image of
Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R)
 
38.6
 
199,922 0
Image of
Image of
Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L)
 
1.0
 
5,053 0
Image of
Image of
Roque De La Fuente/Darcy Richardson (Alliance Party)
 
0.2
 
923 0
Image of
Image of
Gloria La Riva/Sunil Freeman (Party for Socialism and Liberation)
 
0.2
 
847 0
Image of
Image of
Brian T. Carroll/Amar Patel (American Solidarity Party)
 
0.1
 
767 0
  Other write-in votes
 
0.5
 
2,759 0

Incumbents are bolded and underlined The results have been certified.

Total votes: 517,757



Primary election

Rhode Island Democratic presidential primary on June 2, 2020
 
Candidate
%
Votes
Pledged delegates
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Official_portrait_of_Vice_President_Joe_Biden.jpg
Joe Biden
 
76.7
 
79,728 25
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Bernie_Sanders.jpg
Bernie Sanders
 
14.9
 
15,525 1
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Elizabeth_Warren--Official_113th_Congressional_Portrait--.jpg
Elizabeth Warren
 
4.3
 
4,479 0
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Screen_Shot_2019-02-21_at_3.25.16_PM.png
Andrew Yang
 
0.8
 
802 0
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/TulsiGabbardReplace.jpg
Tulsi Gabbard
 
0.6
 
651 0
  Other
 
2.7
 
2,797 0

 Source

Total votes: 103,982 • Total pledged delegates: 26


Rhode Island Republican presidential primary on June 2, 2020
 
Candidate
%
Votes
Pledged delegates
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/473px-Official_Portrait_of_President_Donald_Trump.jpg
Donald Trump
 
87.1
 
19,176 19
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Bill_Weld_campaign_portrait.jpg
Bill Weld
 
5.5
 
1,214 0
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/RoqueDeLaFuente.jpg
Roque De La Fuente
 
0.8
 
182 0
  Other
 
6.5
 
1,437 0

 Source

Total votes: 22,009 • Total pledged delegates: 19


Government response to coronavirus pandemic in Rhode Island

Summary of changes to election dates and procedures

Rhode Island modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Absentee/mail-in voting: Mail-in ballot applications were sent to all registered voters in the general election. Witness or notary requirements were suspended for mail-in ballots.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Frequently asked questions

See also: Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk: Presidential election

The 2020 election took place against a backdrop of uncertainty. Our readers had questions about what to expect in elections at all levels of government, from the casting of ballots to the certification of final results. Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk was designed to answer those questions. Ballotpedia is in the process of compiling and answering frequently asked questions related to the 2020 elections. Questions related to this election will be available soon.


Additional resources

Democratic primary

See also: Democratic presidential nomination, 2020
HIGHLIGHTS
  • Rhode Island held its Democratic primary election on June 2, 2020.
  • Rhode Island had an estimated 36 delegates comprised of 26 pledged delegates and 10 superdelegates. Delegate allocation was proportional.
  • The Democratic primary was semi-closed, meaning only unaffiliated voters and registered Democrats were able to vote in the election.


    • Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) was formally nominated as the Democratic presidential nominee at the 2020 Democratic National Convention on August 18, 2020.[4] The convention was originally scheduled to take place July 13-16, 2020.[5] Organizers postponed the event in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

    Prior to the national convention, individual state caucuses and primaries were held to allocate convention delegates. These delegates vote at the convention to select the nominee. In 2020, a Democratic presidential candidate needed support from 1,991 delegates to secure the nomination.

    With the plurality of pledged delegates, Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee on April 8, 2020, after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) suspended his presidential campaign.[6] Biden crossed the delegate threshold necessary to win the nomination on June 5, 2020.[7]

    Biden announced U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D) as his running mate on August 11, 2020. Harris is the first Black woman to appear on a major party's ticket in the United States.[8]

    Republican primary

    See also: Republican presidential nomination, 2020
    HIGHLIGHTS
  • Rhode Island held its Republican primary election on June 2, 2020.
  • Rhode Island had an estimated 19 delegates. Delegate allocation was proportional.
  • The Republican primary was semi-closed, meaning only unaffiliated voters and registered Republicans were able to vote in the election.


    • The Republican Party selected President Donald Trump as its presidential nominee at the 2020 Republican National Convention, which was held from August 24-27, 2020.[9]

    Prior to the national convention, individual state caucuses and primaries were held to allocate convention delegates. These delegates vote at the convention to select the nominee. Trump crossed the delegate threshold necessary to win the nomination—1,276 delegates—on March 17, 2020.

    George H.W. Bush (R) was the last incumbent to face a serious primary challenge, defeating political commentator Pat Buchanan in 1992. He was also the last president to lose his re-election campaign. Franklin Pierce (D) was the first and only elected president to lose his party's nomination in 1856.[10]

    Sixteen U.S. presidents—approximately one-third—have won two consecutive elections.



    Candidate filing requirements

    See also: Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Rhode Island

    The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Rhode Island in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Rhode Island, click here.

    Presidential primary candidates

    Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Rhode Island, 2020
    State Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
    Rhode Island Qualified parties 1,000 Fixed by statute N/A N/A 2/6/2020 Source

    Independent presidential candidates

    Filing requirements for independent candidates in Rhode Island, 2020
    State Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
    Rhode Island 1,000 Fixed by statute N/A N/A Pending Source

    Historical election results

    2016

    General election

    U.S. presidential election, Rhode Island, 2016
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
         Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngHillary Clinton/Tim Kaine 54.4% 252,525 4
         Republican Donald Trump/Mike Pence 38.9% 180,543 0
         Libertarian Gary Johnson/Bill Weld 3.2% 14,746 0
         Green Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka 1.3% 6,220 0
         American Delta Roque De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg 0.1% 671 0
         - Write-in votes 2% 9,439 0
    Total Votes 464,144 4
    Election results via: Rhode Island Board of Elections

    Primary election

    Rhode Island Democratic Primary, 2016
    Candidate Vote % Votes Delegates
    Green check mark transparent.pngBernie Sanders 54.7% 66,993 13
    Hillary Clinton 43.1% 52,749 11
    Mark Steward 0.2% 236 0
    Roque De La Fuente 0.1% 145 0
    Other 1.9% 2,335 0
    Totals 122,458 24
    Source: The New York Times and Rhode Island Board of Elections


    Rhode Island Republican Primary, 2016
    Candidate Vote % Votes Delegates
    Green check mark transparent.pngDonald Trump 63.7% 39,221 12
    Ted Cruz 10.4% 6,416 2
    John Kasich 24.3% 14,963 5
    Marco Rubio 0.6% 382 0
    Other 1% 632 0
    Totals 61,614 19
    Source: The New York Times and Rhode Island Board of Elections

    2012

    U.S. presidential election, Rhode Island, 2012
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
         Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngBarack Obama/Joe Biden Incumbent 62.8% 279,677 4
         Republican Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan 35.3% 157,204 0
         Libertarian Gary Johnson/Jim Gray 1% 4,388 0
         Green Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala 0.5% 2,421 0
         N/A Write-ins 0.3% 1,381 0
         Constitution Virgil Goode/James Clymer 0.1% 430 0
    Total Votes 445,501 4
    Election results via: U.S. Election Atlas

    Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1% of the vote. Those candidates included: Ross Anderson and Peta Lindsay.[11]

    2008

    U.S. presidential election, Rhode Island, 2008
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
         Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngBarack Obama/Joe Biden 62.9% 296,571 4
         Republican John McCain/Sarah Palin 35.1% 165,391 0
         Independent Ralph Nader/Matt Gonzalez 1% 4,829 0
         N/A Write-ins 0.3% 1,511 0
         Libertarian Bob Barr/Wayne Allyn Root 0.3% 1,382 0
         Green Cynthia McKinney/Rosa Clemente 0.2% 797 0
         Constitution Chuck Baldwin/Darrell Castle 0.1% 675 0
         N/A Ron Paul 0.1% 472 0
    Total Votes 471,628 4
    Election results via: U.S. Election Atlas

    Other candidates that appeared on the ballot received less than 0.1% of the vote. Those candidates included: Gloria LaRiva and Alan Keyes.[12]

    Presidential statewide margins of victory of 5 percentage points or fewer, 1948-2016

    See also: Presidential statewide margins of victory of 5 percentage points or fewer, 1948-2016

    The following map shows the number of times, in presidential elections held between 1948 and 2016, that the margin of victory was 5 percentage points or fewer in each state.

    • Wisconsin was the state with the most frequently narrow margins during this time period, appearing on the list in 10 presidential elections.
    • Five states appeared eight times: Florida, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
    • The state with the narrowest margin of victory was Florida in 2000 at 537 votes or one-hundredth of a percentage point.

    Historical election trends

    See also: Presidential voting history by state

    Rhode Island presidential election results (1900-2024)

    • 22 Democratic wins
    • 10 Republican wins
    Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
    Winning Party R R R D R R R D D D D D D R R D D D R D D R D D D D D D D D D D


    See also: Presidential election accuracy

    Below is an analysis of Rhode Island's voting record in presidential elections. The state's accuracy is based on the number of times a state has voted for a winning presidential candidate. The majority of statistical data is from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration and was compiled, here, by Ballotpedia, unless otherwise noted.

    Presidential election voting record in Rhode Island, 1900-2016

    Between 1900 and 2016:

    • Rhode Island participated in 30 presidential elections.
    • Rhode Island voted for the winning presidential candidate 73.33 percent of the time. The average accuracy of voting for winning presidential candidates for all 50 states in this time frame was 72.31 percent.[13]
    • Rhode Island voted Democratic 66.67 percent of the time and Republican 33.33 percent of the time.

    Presidential election voting record in Rhode Island, 2000-2016

    *An asterisk indicates that that candidate also won the national electoral vote in that election.

    State profile

    See also: Rhode Island and Rhode Island elections, 2019
    USA Rhode Island location map.svg

    Partisan data

    The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019

    Presidential voting pattern

    Congressional delegation

    State executives

    State legislature

    Rhode Island Party Control: 1992-2025
    Sixteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
    Governor D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R I I D D D D D D D D D D D D D
    Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
    House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

    Rhode Island quick stats
    More Rhode Island coverage on Ballotpedia:


    Demographic data for Rhode Island
     Rhode IslandU.S.
    Total population:1,055,607316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):1,0343,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:81.1%73.6%
    Black/African American:6.5%12.6%
    Asian:3.2%5.1%
    Native American:0.5%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
    Two or more:2.8%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:13.6%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:86.2%86.7%
    College graduation rate:31.9%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$56,852$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:17.3%11.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Rhode Island.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


    Presidential election by state

    See also: Presidential election by state, 2020

    Click on a state below to navigate to information about the presidential election in that jurisdiction.

    https://ballotpedia.org/Presidential_election_in_STATE,_2020

    See also

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Providence Journal, "Raimondo to order R.I. primary postponement," March 23, 2020
    2. ↑ The New York Times, "Rhode Island Presidential Democratic Primary Election Results," accessed June 2, 2020
    3. ↑ The New York Times, "Rhode Island Presidential Republican Primary Election Results," accessed June 2, 2020
    4. ↑ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "2020 DNC in Milwaukee pushed back to week of August 17 in response to coronavirus pandemic," April 2, 2020
    5. ↑ The New York Times, "Milwaukee Picked as Site of 2020 Democratic National Convention," March 11, 2019
    6. ↑ Talking Points Memo, "Bernie Sanders Ends 2020 Bid, Making Biden Presumptive Dem Nominee," April 8, 2020
    7. ↑ AP, "Biden formally clinches Democratic presidential nomination," June 5, 2020
    8. ↑ CNBC, "Joe Biden picks Sen. Kamala Harris to be his vice presidential running mate, making her the first black woman on a major ticket," August 11, 2020
    9. ↑ Charlotte Observer, "Here’s when the 2020 Republican National Convention will be in Charlotte," October 1, 2018
    10. ↑ NPR, "When Has A President Been Denied His Party's Nomination?" July 22, 2009
    11. ↑ U.S. Election Atlas, "2012 Presidential Election Results," accessed December 29, 2014
    12. ↑ U.S. Election Atlas, "2008 Presidential Election Results," accessed December 29, 2014
    13. ↑ This average includes states like Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, which did not participate in all 30 presidential elections between 1900 and 2016. It does not include Washington, D.C., which cast votes for president for the first time in 1964, or Alaska and Hawaii, which cast votes for president for the first time in 1960.
    14. ↑ This number refers to the number of times that the state voted for the winning presidential candidate between 2000 and 2016.
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