Rhode Island

Ongoing voter list maintenance supports accurate voter rolls
PROVIDENCE, RI – Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore today announced the results of the Department of State’s recent voter list maintenance efforts. In total, between November 9, 2022 and February 10, 2023, 60,619 inactive voter registrations were removed from the state’s voter list through a voter list maintenance process.
“Enfranchisement and expanding voting access are top priorities of my administration, and in order to best serve the voting public, it’s essential that we have accurate elections data,” said Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore. “That means making a consistent effort to ensure our voter lists are up-to-date, and I applaud the Department of State’s Elections Division and the local cities and towns for their work to strengthen our elections system.”
A voter’s registration becomes inactive when a piece of official elections mail is returned to the sender as “undeliverable.” If an inactive voter does not cast a ballot in one of the next two federal elections, according to the maintenance process outlined in federal and state law, their voter registration can be removed from the voter list.
In 2020, to ensure the safety of voters and election officials during the COVID-19 pandemic, all registered voters automatically received mail ballot applications for the Presidential Primary and November General Election. As a result, the Department of State and local boards of canvassers were alerted to more “undeliverable” addresses than in a typical year. If those voters did not vote in either the 2020 or 2022 elections, the voters were notified and their registrations were removed from the voter list.
Voter list maintenance is an integral part of election integrity and security, ensuring that voter rolls remain as accurate as possible. State and local election officials receive voter list maintenance information from several agencies, including the Department of Health and the Division of Motor Vehicles, on a regular basis.
Information on the number of registered Rhode Island voters is available online. To learn more about registering to vote or updating voter registration information online, visit https://vote.sos.ri.gov/.
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PROVIDENCE, RI – Governor Dan McKee today announced six judicial nominations to fill vacancies on the Superior Court, District Court, and Workers’ Compensation Court.
“It is an honor to appoint these six judges who will play a critical role in serving Rhode Island’s court system,” said Governor Dan McKee. “I know that with their combined decades of experience, they will fairly uphold the laws and values of Rhode Island. I thank the Judicial Nominating Committee for sending us a strong selection of qualified candidates.”
The following names have been submitted to the Rhode Island Senate for confirmation:
Superior Court
Christopher K. Smith has been nominated to the Superior Court. A graduate of Hamilton College, Roger Williams University School of Law and University of Oregon School of Law, he has served as an Associate Judge in the District Court since 2019. Prior to joining the bench, he was the Chief of the District Court Division for the Rhode Island Public Defender’s Office. Presently, he also serves as an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University, sits on the Board of Directors for Crossroads Rhode Island and is a member of the Engeye Scholars Advisory Board. He resides with his wife and two children. Smith will fill the seat left vacant by Judge Susan E. McGuirl.
Joseph J. McBurney has been nominated to the Superior Court, filling the spot left vacant by Judge Netti C. Vogel. A graduate of University of Connecticut School of Law and The Catholic University of America, McBurney presently serves as an Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division in the Office of the Attorney General. He also is an instructor at the Rhode Island Municipal Police Training Academy, Rhode Island State Police Training Academy and the Providence Police Training Academy. McBurney resides in Pawtucket.
District Court
Magistrate James Patrick O’Neill has been nominated to the Rhode Island District Court and will fill the seat vacated by Judge Elaine Bucci. Magistrate O’Neill brings over 24-years of experience, including five years as a District Court Magistrate and ten years in the Rhode Island House of Representatives from 2005 to 2015. A graduate of Colby College and Roger Williams Law School, he now lives in Narragansett with his wife and two daughters.
Debra Saunders has been nominated to the Rhode Island District Court and will fill a newly created seat in the District Court. A graduate of Suffolk Law School and Providence College, Saunders and her husband split their time between Barrington and Newport. Since 2008, Saunders has served as Clerk of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and will bring over 25 years of legal experience to the bench having also worked as Supreme Court Deputy General Counsel, a Special Assistant Attorney General, and in private practice. She is a longstanding member of numerous Supreme Court committees including the Committee on Character and Fitness and the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee and is a member of the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
Nicholas J. Parrillo has been nominated to the Rhode Island District Court. He is a graduate of Rhode Island College and Roger Williams Law School. After law school, Parrillo served as a law clerk for Chief Justice Paul Suttell of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and then served as a public defender for 5 years before going into private practice as a criminal defense lawyer. In addition, Parrillo serves as an elected committee member to the Rhode Island Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys and as a member on the Justinian Law Society of Rhode Island. He lives in East Providence with his wife, son and dog. He will fill the seat vacated by Judge Christine Jabour.
Workers’ Compensation Court
Moira E. Reynolds has been nominated to the to the Rhode Island Workers’ Compensation Court. A graduate of Providence College and Suffolk University School of Law, Reynolds now lives in North Kingstown with her husband and two children. For over two decades, she has been staff counsel to The Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. She will fill the seat vacated by Judge George Salem.
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In advance of the extreme cold expected this weekend, the McKee Administration is reminding all Rhode Islanders about ways to stay healthy and safe.
According to the National Weather Service, Rhode Island will experience temperatures and wind chills below freezing Friday, February 3 into Saturday, February 4. Extreme cold can cause hypothermia, frostbite, and can contribute to events like household fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. The best way to protect your health against extreme cold is to prepare yourself, your home, and your car before extremely cold weather.
Prepare yourself:
–Dress in layers.
–Cover exposed skin. Wind chills this low may result in frostbite on exposed skin in as few as 15 minutes.
–Limit outdoor time.
–Add blankets to your home’s emergency kit.
–Eat frequently. Food gives the body energy to produce heat.
–Do not drink a lot of alcohol or caffeine. Alcohol and caffeine cause your body to lose heat faster.
–Check on older family and friends; infants and older adults are more at risk for health problems related to extreme temperature.
–Your baby should wear the same layers adults would comfortably wear plus one additional layer. Avoid using one big, bulky blanket.
–Know the signs and symptoms of hypothermia and frostbite.
Prepare your car:
–Keep your gas tank near full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines.
–Make a winter emergency kit for your car. Add extra blankets and a windshield.
–Make sure your tires have enough air pressure and that your heater works.
–Check your car’s antifreeze levels.
–Tell your friends and family if you are traveling somewhere. If you can, bring a mobile phone with you.
Prepare your pets:
–Limit outdoor time for your pets.
–Bring outdoor pets inside.
Prepare your house:
–Extreme cold can cause your water pipes to freeze and sometimes break. Leave your water tap open so they drip. Open the cabinets beneath the kitchen sink to let warm air near the pipes.
–Be careful with indoor heaters; keep space heaters three feet away from anything that may catch fire.
–Conserve heat. Don’t open doors or windows unless necessary. Close off unneeded rooms.
–Do not use generators, grills, or camp stoves inside.
–Install a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector to protect yourself from carbon monoxide poisoning. Put a carbon monoxide detector near your bedroom so you can hear it if you are sleeping.
Watch for warning signs
When exposed to cold temperatures, your body can lose heat quickly and develop frostbite or hypothermia or both. Frostbite most often impacts noses, ears, cheeks, chins, fingers, and toes. Signs of frostbite include discolored (red, white, or greyish-yellow) skin and numbness. If you notice signs of frostbite, get into a warm area as soon as possible and call a healthcare provider. Warm the affected area with warm water or with body heat. Frostbitten areas can be easily burned because they are numb. Do not use hot water, heating pads, or the heat of a stove or radiator for warming.
Signs of hypothermia include shivering; exhaustion; confusion, memory loss, slurred speech; bright red, cold skin in infants, and very low energy in infants. If you notice signs of hypothermia, take the person’s temperature. If their temperature is below 95°F, this is an emergency, and the person should get medical attention immediately.
More information:
–Some cities and towns have warming centers open to those who need shelter during periods of extreme cold. To find a warming center near you, call 2-1-1 or visit: https://riema.ri.gov/planning-mitigation/resources-businesses/warming-centers.
–For information about smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, see this resource from the Rhode Island Office of the State Fire Marshal: https://fire-marshal.ri.gov/sites/g/files/xkgbur726/files/documents/safety/alarms.pdf
–For more information, see RIDOH’s page on Winter Health Tips https://health.ri.gov/seasonal/winter/ or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) page on Extreme Cold https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/guide.html.