Eight days in, 30,000 Rhode Island voters cast ballots early

After record-breaking turnout in the Sept. 9 primaries, including a wave of early voting, just over 30,000 voters cast ballots at designated municipal polling places in the first eight days since early voting began Oct. 14.

That’s 40% fewer Rhode Islanders compared with two years ago, according to the Rhode Island Department of State’s online tracker.

In the 2024 presidential election, more than 50,000 people voted in the first eight days of the 20-day early voting period, according to data shared with Rhode Island Current.

However, early voting this year to-date is nearly double the 17,000 ballots cast in the first eight days of early voting in 2022, the last time the state’s general officeholders were on the ballot. 

Adding in mail ballots submitted and received by the Rhode Island Board of Elections as of Wednesday, more than 41,000 people have participated in the state’s Nov. 3 general election, equal to 5.2% of registered voters.

Early voting has become increasingly popular in Rhode Island as voters become more familiar and comfortable. Early voting options and information was also on display throughout the state on Saturday as part of the No Kings movement organized nationwide. 

First offered during the 2020 election cycle due to the pandemic, early, in-person voting and mail ballots were enshrined in state law ahead of the 2022 election cycle. 

More than 71,000 voters cast ballots early in the 2022 midterms, rising to almost 172,000 in 2024.

Mail ballots also grew in popularity, from 34,000 in 2022 to nearly 56,000 in 2024. 

Mail ballots have come under attack in the 2026 midterms, with Trump’s executive order attempting to restrict mail ballot access under consideration by the Supreme Court as part of its emergency docket.

Nearly 11,000 mail ballots have been received by the state elections board as of Wednesday, out of more than 31,000 ballots mailed to voters who requested them. If every voter who receives a mail ballot submits it by the Nov. 3 deadline, it will be the smallest amount of mail ballots cast in a general election since the option for no-excuse mail voting was made available in 2020.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Warwick leads in total early voting turnout, with more than 3,600 ballots cast, including nearly 2,400 people who voted in-person at the Warwick Police Station.

Providence led in mail ballots, with more than 1,300 submitted and received as of Wednesday afternoon.

The town of New Shoreham had the smallest turnout so far, with 123 ballots cast in-person or by mail, equal to 11.5% of the town’s 1,067 registered voters.

Early, in-person voting continues through 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2. Most municipalities offer hours every weekday, with select Saturday hours in Providence and Pawtucket. 

Mail ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day — delivered either to a local board of canvassers, the Rhode Island Board of Elections or a designated drop box. The deadline to apply for a mail ballot has already passed, but voters can still request an emergency mail ballot from their local boards of canvassers.