Voting By Mail In RI: What To Know For Nov. 3

PROVIDENCE, RI — There's still time to register to vote by mail in the upcoming general election Nov. 3. Rhode Islanders have until Oct. 13 to request a mail ballot.

All active voters in the state should have received a mail ballot application in the mail from Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea's office. To be eligible, voters needed only be registered and not had a piece of election mail returned as undeliverable.

"Making it easy for Rhode Islanders to vote safely and securely from home will ensure that voters aren't forced to choose between their health and their constitutional right to vote," Gorbea said.

Learn more about mail ballots.

Those who are not yet registered to vote still have time before the general election in November. The deadline for registration is Oct. 4, and there are a few ways to register: the Secretary of State's website or by filling out a form and mailing it or delivering it by hand to the local board of canvassers.

Once registered, voters can download an application to vote by mail online, then mail back the completed form or deliver it by hand to their local Board of Canvassers. The ballot must be returned to the Board of Elections or dropped in a secure dropbox by 8 p.m. on election day.

Find a list of dropboxes here.

For the first time, Rhode Island voters also have the opportunity to vote in-person ahead of election day. Early voting is available in the 20 days leading up to the election at the voter's town or city hall, starting Oct. 14. It ends at 4 p.m. on Nov. 2. A valid photo ID is required.

To help voters navigate the upcoming September and November elections, Gorbea's office teamed up with the United Way of Rhode Island to launch a 211 voter information hotline, answering questions about registering to vote, the different ways to vote, how to apply for a mail ballot and more.

"It's vital that Rhode Islanders turn to trusted sources for elections information like the 2-1-1 Voter Information Hotline and vote.ri.gov this year," Gorbea said previously. "The pandemic has changed many aspects of our lives, and elections are no exception. We're here to answer any questions you have so you can still exercise your fundamental right to vote. Thank you to United Way of Rhode Island for stepping up and partnering with my office on this important and innovative public resource."