Announcements promise a vigorous election, with still three months until the deadline to declare candidacies

Campaign 2022 is well underway, with competitive races in high profile offices, and the expectation of millions of dollars being raised and spent by candidates. And we’re still three months from when candidates must declare their intentions.

The Democratic gubernatorial primary election will be competitive for major offices, including governor and the second Congressional district seat, and possibly treasurer. There’s still plenty of time for candidates to get into these races. On the GOP side, so far, it appears a primary is shaping up for the second Congressional district seat.

What are the deadlines for which candidates and voters must be aware? According to the Secretary of State’s website:

Voters:

The deadline to register to vote in the Sept. 13 primary election is August 14.
The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 8 general election is Oct 9.

Candidates:

Declaration of Candidacy, a document candidates file to start the process of becoming a candidate. Individuals declare for a particular office. If they wish to run as a party candidate, they must also “declare” themselves as a member of that party. Candidates must file between June 27-29.
- To file, the form is available on the Secretary of State’s website (https://vote.sos.ri.gov/). The site has the form, specific instructions on how to fill it out and where to file the form.

Nomination papers, forms on which candidates obtain valid signatures of registered voters eligible to vote for the office the candidate is seeking. Below is the required number of signatures for each office that allows the candidate to be on the ballot.
- President 1,000
- Delegates 150
- U.S. Senator 500
- U.S. Representative 250
- Governor 1,000
- Lt. Governor 500
- Secretary of State 500
- General Treasurer 500
- Attorney General 500
- State Senator 100
- State Representative 50
- Local offices Varies with local Boards of Canvassers
Nomination papers for presidential electors, Senators and Representatives in Congress must be obtained from the state Board of Elections, 148 W. River St., Providence. For all other offices candidates pick up papers from the local Board of Canvassers where they filed their Declaration of Candidacy. The date that nomination papers must be returned has yet to be determined.
Withdrawal of Candidacy, deadline is to be determined.
Board of Election financial reports are due quarterly on April 30 (for first quarter of 2022), July 31 (for the second quarter of 2022), October 31 (for the third quarter of 2022).