Accessible Voting in Rhode Island
For the Tuesday, November 8, 2022 General Election in Rhode Island
- You must be registered to vote.
- All voters can request a ballot by mail.
- Early voting locations are open before Election Day
Accessible Voting Tips
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to vote privately and independently, at an accessible voting location, on an accessible voting system.
If you need more information or assistance using your right to vote, these organizations can help
- Visit your state Accessibility and Voting Assistance page or call (401) 222-2340 for the options available in your state.
- Contact your local election office for help voting and details about local support for accessible voting.
- Your local Center for Independent Living has information and other support.
- Call your state National Disability Rights Network (NRDN) Protection & Advocacy office if someone is interfering with your right to vote.
- If you are a first-time voter or moved recently, check the voter ID requirements in your state. VoteRiders has information about the types of identification accepted.
- You can also call 1-800-OUR-VOTE to report any problems voting.
Your rights
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to:
- Vote privately and independently
- At an accessible polling place
- Using an accessible voting system
If you need assistance you can:
- Ask an election worker, or
- Bring someone to help you
You may request your local election officials to tell you about any voting aids, voting assistance, and absentee ballot procedures that are available.
Election officials must make any reasonable accommodations you need to vote. This might include
- A place to sit if you have trouble standing
- A quiet, private place to vote
You cannot be refused the right to vote because an election worker thinks your disability means you are not qualified to vote.
Open the sections on this page to learn more about accessible options for early voting, voting in person on election day, and voting by mail.
Accessible voting features in Rhode Island for voters with disabilities
- Sign up to automatically receive a ballot by mail for all elections
- Voters with print disabilities can use an accessible vote-by-mail system.
Ask your local election office about other support for accessible voting, like:
- Other services or assistance for voters with disabilities.
- How to get assistance in marking and casting your ballot.
- Emergency voting options if you are hospitalized or ill.
- An opportunity to practice using the accessible voting system.
- Ballot delivery to your home or a “ride to the polls” program.
- Curbside or drive-up voting, so you don’t have to get out of your car.
- Election and voting information in large print, audio, or Braille versions.
Learn more about the laws that protect your rights
Early voting is voting in person before Election Day, which is usually less crowded than going to vote on Election Day itself. There are different kinds of early voting, so check the options available for you. They might include:
- vote centers where you can vote at any location in your jurisdiction
- super polling places where you are assigned a location
- voting at an elections office or satellite office
- in-person absentee, where you go to an elections office, get your mail ballot, and then mark and cast it in the office.
Early voting is called in-person absentee voting in Rhode Island.
October 19 through November 7, early voting is available at your local boards of canvassers during business hours.
Early voting hours and locations can vary. Check with your local elections office.
- All voters are asked to show a photo ID.
- Voters without ID can sign an affidavit.
Find an early voting center near you.
When you vote in person on Election Day, you go to a voting center to mark and cast your ballot in person. Every in-person voting location is required to have accessible voting systems available.
Polling places are open from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.
- All voters are asked to show a photo ID.
- Voters without ID can sign an affidavit.
You can drop off your mail ballot at your local elections office on Election Day.
Find your polling place.
Accessible voting systems for in-person voting
The accessible voting systems used in Rhode Island are shown below. Contact your local election office for more information or a change to practice using the system you will vote on.
ES&S ExpressVote
A ballot marking device.
It has a touchscreen, audio, and tactile controls on a small keypad.
The printed ballot is a list of selections printed on a narrow card.
Ballots are cast at a separate scanner.
Learn more about using ExpressVote
- Short video tutorial from Pennsylvania (YouTube 1:53)
- Video from Michigan (You Tube 12:29)
- Information about ExpressVote from Pennsylvania
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Voting by mail can be an accessible option for voters with disabilities. It lets you vote at home, so you can mark, verify and return a paper ballot privately and independently. Some states have emergency options if you are hospitalized or ill. |
Deadline to return your ballot:
Received by 8:00 pm on Election Day, November 8.
How to get your ballot
- All voters can request a ballot.
- Voters with disabilities can sign up to receive a ballot for all future elections.
To get your ballot you can:
- Download, print, and mail a request form.
How to return your ballot
By mail
At a secure drop box
At your local elections office
Find a ballot drop-off location near you at your local elections website.
Make sure your ballot counts! Remember...
Return your ballot promptly. Postmarks don't count.
Postage is pre-paid so you don't need a stamp.
Make sure your ballot is sealed in the envelope.
Sign the form on the envelope.
- Ask your local elections office who can return your ballot for you.
- If someone helped you, have them complete the form for assistants.
Learn about accessible voting by mail options in the next card.
Accessible voting by mail allows voters with disabilities to mark a mail-in ballot electronically, using their own technology and assistive tools.
To use accessible tools for voting by mail, typically voters:
- Download an electronic ballot to mark using personal technology
- Print the ballot and any signature form
- Seal the ballot in an envelope
- Return it by mail or to a ballot drop off locatoin
Some states allow electronic return by email, fax, or a secure portal.
There is a statewide accessible vote by mail program in Rhode Island called Accessible Mail Ballot
Voters with print disabilities by request an accessible mail ballot on the mail ballot application form.
Rhode Island also offers braille, large print and tactile mail ballots.
Deadline to return your ballot:
Received by 8:00 pm on Election Day, November 8.
Returning a printed ballot
You can use your own technology to mark the ballot online and then print it to return to the Board of Elections.
You can return your ballot:
- By mail
The systems in use in Rhode Island for accessible voting by mail are:
DemocracyLive OmniBallot Portal
Accessible system for voting by mail.
Delivers and returns ballot through a secure online portal.
Creates a paper facsimile of a hand-marked paper ballot for tabulation.
Voters have the option to print and mail their ballot.
Claims WCAG 2.0 Level AA accessibility.
Learn more about using Omni Ballot
- Democracy Live Website
- Short tutorial from Democracy Live (YouTube :30)
- Electronic return process from Democracy Live (YouTube 11:28)
Learn more about accessible voting options in Rhode Island