Vote Here sign in front of Newport City Hall. Credit: Ryan Belmore / What'sUpNewp

The Rhode Island Board of Elections and the Rhode Island Department of State are today reminding voters who choose to vote by mail that mail ballots must be received by the Board of Elections by 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 5, 2024.

Voters can return their mail ballot through the U.S. mail, in a secure elections drop box, at their local board of canvassers, or in-person in a designated receptacle at a polling place on Election Day. With Election Day just over a week away, voters are strongly encouraged to use a drop box instead of mailing their ballot.

All Rhode Island drop boxes are monitored by surveillance cameras 24 hours a day, seven days a week when drop boxes are in use for an election.

Voters who must return their mail ballot through the U.S. mail are encouraged to mail their ballot as soon as possible.

Voters can track their mail ballot online using BallotTrax.

Any voter who requested a mail ballot and has not received it, or who has not requested a mail ballot but will be unable to vote in-person during early voting or on Election Day, should contact their local board of canvassers as soon as possible. The deadline to request an emergency mail ballot is 4 p.m. on November 4, 2024.

To learn more about elections in Rhode Island, visit vote.ri.gov.

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...