Residents can now update their voter information, or register to vote without mailing forms or going into an office. All one needs is a computer or smart phone with internet connections.
"The next important date that is coming up fast and furious is Aug. 14, which is the deadline to register to vote for the Sept. 13 primaries," Gorbea said at the recent ballot placement lottery for the upcoming primaries and general election.
The last day to register to vote for the Nov. 8 general election is Oct. 9.
“When I ran for office, I pledged to Rhode Islanders that I would utilize the latest technology to modernize elections in our state," she said in a news release today. "I am pleased to make good on that promise today by launching online voter registration for eligible voters across the state. This technology makes it easier for voters to register to vote and update their voter information while improving the accuracy and integrity of Rhode Island's voter rolls.” Legislation enabling the online process was sponsored this past legislative session by Sen. Gayle L. Goldin, D-Providence, and Rep. Aaron Regunberg, D-Providence. Rhode Island joins 31 states, plus the District of Columbia. Arizona was the first state to implement such a system in 2002.
To register online, state residents need their Rhode Island DMV issued driver's license or state identification number; their name as it appears on that license or identification card; and their date of birth. There are also minimum eligibility requirements, such as checking off, "I am not incarcerated in a correctional facility upon a felony conviction" and "I am not presently judged 'mentally incompetent' to vote by a court of law."
To update one's voter registration, a state resident puts in their name, address and date a birth before pressing "look up my voter information." It then brings the voter to a page that shows personal information - such as who the voter's elected official is, status and affiliation. At the top right hand corner is a button that says, "edit record."
The website also includes, among others, additional dates important to the upcoming election, who the candidates are and a guide for military and oversees voters.
©2016 The Providence Journal (Providence, R.I.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
