House leaders back bill to send all RI voters mail ballot applications
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island’s House Democratic leadership is throwing its weight behind a bill to send all voters a mail ballot application for the upcoming primary and general elections, a win for advocates who say the policy will make it safer to vote during the pandemic.
An amended bill scheduled for a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday says “every qualified voter shall be deemed to be eligible to vote by mail” in Rhode Island this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The secretary of state shall cause a mail ballot application to be delivered in a timely fashion to every qualified voter,” the bill says.
The emergence of the legislation, sponsored by House Deputy Majority Whip Chris Blazejewski, marks a new development in an ongoing State House tug-of-war over how to conduct the upcoming elections.
Every voter was sent a mail ballot application for last month’s presidential primary, which led to a sharp increase in turnout — suggesting the same could happen if applications were mailed proactively for the Sept. 8 statewide primary and Nov. 3 general election.
Up to now, legislative leaders have appeared resistant to demands that they allow a proactive mailing of applications again for the September primary — which could complicate the turnout math for some endangered incumbent lawmakers. But the decision to post the amended House bill for a hearing suggests House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello’s leadership team has come around to the idea.
https://www.wpri.com/news/politics-government/house-leaders-back-bill-to-send-all-ri-voters-mail-ballot-applications/