Early, In Person Voting For RI's Special Election Ends March 1

Time is running out for Rhode Islanders to cast their votes in the March 2 special election. Early, in-person voting is available until 4 p.m. Monday.

To cast their ballot, voters will need a valid photo ID. Anyone without one will be given an emergency ballot. Once marked on-site, ballots will be inserted into voting machines to be counted.

As of Friday, 6,700 people had cast their ballots at their city or town hall. Warwick had the highest turnout with 441 people, while Central Falls had the fewest at 23.

Early voting made up a significant portion of ballots cast in the general election in November, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the total.

More information about the special election and the seven ballot questions is available in the Secretary of State's election handbook, which was also mailed to all Rhode Island voters.
The seven ballot questions, totaling $400 million in bonds, are set to go before voters March 2. As was the case for June's primary election, mail voting will be encouraged to allow for a safe election amid the pandemic. The questions are outlined below.

Question One: $107.3 million for higher education, including $57.3 million for a fine arts center at URI, $38 million for the Clarke Science Building at RIC and $12 million to renovate CCRI's campuses.

Question Two: $74 million for environment and recreational projects, a total of $10 million over the governor's original proposal.

• $4 million for local recreation projects
• $3 million for natural and working lands
• $15 million for clean and drinking water
• $7 million for municipal resiliency projects
• $33 million for state beaches, parks and campgrounds
• $4 million for the proposed park on the former I-195 land in Providence
• $6 million for Providence River dredging (included in the 2018 green bond, but funding proved insufficient)
• $2 million for the Woonasquatucket Greenway

Question Three: $65 million for affordable housing, an increase of $40 million over the original proposal, included in the amendment offered by the governor in July.

Question Four: $71.7 million for transportation initiatives.

Question Five: $15 million for early childhood care and the educational capital fund.

Question Six: $7 million for arts and cultural infrastructure, including $6 million for the cultural arts and economy grant program, and $1 million for the state preservation grants program.

Question Seven: $60 million for commerce infrastructure, including $20 million for the Port of Davisville at Quonset and $40 million for industrial site development.