Record Number Of Rhode Islanders Registered To Vote In 2018

Rhode Island saw a record number of registered voters in the 2018 election, with voter turnout numbers the second highest they've been in a midterm election in decades, according to newly-released data. Going into the election, Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea 's "Be A Voter" campaign focused on increasing first-time and young voters.

In the last election year, more than 787,000 people were registered to vote in the state, a state record. While just 48 percent of registered voters actually turned up at the polls, that figure is fairly consistent with historical trends for midterm election years, when voter turnout is always lower. Additionally, actual voter turnout numbers show near-record high numbers.

Through her "Be A Voter" initiative, Gorbea aimed to raise the number of young voters, which the data shows was a success. Last year, nearly 2,000 more voters under the age of 21 voted than in the 2016 election, an increase of 22 percent. The increase only gets steeper as you look farther back, rising to a 64 percent spike since 2014.

"Secretary of State Gorbea believes strongly that the single act of casting a ballot is fundamental to our democracy and critically important to making government accountable to the people it serves," read a statement from Gorbea's office following the election. "We are very pleased to see the higher turnout given some new strategies we employed to increase voter engagement, especially among new and young voters."

Looking ahead to the 2020 presidential election, Gorbea's office said she is dedicated to increasing voter registration and turnout.

"Secretary Gorbea remains committed to making sure that every eligible Rhode Islander is ready and prepared to be a voter in 2020," a spokesperson for the Secretary of State said in a statement.

The full voter turnout data is available on the Secretary of State's website.