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From Voter ID to their assigned polling place and the hours it will be open, voters will find some changes in the state primary. Here's some advice to help make your trip to the polls go smoothly.
To avoid problems, visit our website at sos.ri.gov to confirm the location of your polling place, make sure your voter registration information is accurate and check the list of IDs that poll workers will accept.
All that information is available with just a few clicks of your mouse. Checking ahead of time will help avoid problems when you go to the polls.
The primary, which includes Democratic and Republican contests for the U.S. House of Representatives as well as 40 General Assembly seats and local offices in many municipalities, is also the next test of the state's new Voter ID law.
Voter ID from A to Z
Beginning this year, voters will be asked to show an ID when they vote at the polls. Poll workers will accept a wide range of common photo IDs including a R.I. driver's license, state ID card, RIPTA bus pass, college ID and employee ID.
Voter ID will be phased in over two election cycles. This year, voters can also use a variety of non-photo IDs including a Social Security card, bank statement or any government-issued document. Beginning in 2014, only photo IDs will be accepted.
Most importantly, no eligible voter will be denied the right to vote. Voters who do not bring an acceptable ID to the polls can vote using a standard Provisional Ballot. If the signature they give at their polling place matches the signature on their voter registration, their ballot will be counted.
Polls will close earlier this year
In addition to new polling places and Voter ID, voters will encounter at least one more difference. Polling places will now close an hour earlier at 8 p.m. thanks to a recent change in state law. Polls will open at 7 a.m. in every municipality except Block Island, where they will open at 9 a.m.
Any eligible voter in line when the doors close at 8 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot. Voters will be allowed to bring a marked sample ballot or other material that will help them in the voting booth.
Voting using a provisional ballot
If your name is not on the voter registration list at the polling place and you believe that you are legally registered to vote in that precinct, you are eligible to vote a provisional ballot, which will be counted if elections officials determine that your claim is valid.
Need an ID for November's Election?
Voters who do not already have an acceptable photo ID can obtain a free one at the Secretary of State's Elections Division, 148 West River St., Providence, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or at locations throughout Rhode Island. Here's the complete schedule.
In order to obtain a free photo ID, voters must bring proof of identity such as a Social Security card, credit or debit card, utility bill or any government-issued document. The ID, which includes a color photo of the voter and the voter's full name, will be created on the spot.
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