The Rhode Island Board of Elections released a timeline on October 31, 2024, detailing when the results of the Nov. 5 general election will be tabulated and released to the public.
Polling place results, which are encrypted and transmitted to the board when polls close, will be available on the board’s website beginning at 8 p.m. on Election Day. Early voting results will also be transmitted by local boards of canvassers on Nov. 5 and will be available on the website at 8 p.m.
While the board expects to count most mail ballots by Nov. 5, ballots dropped off at city and town halls or at polling places must still be tabulated. These ballots are sealed in envelopes and held in secure, sealed containers by local boards of canvassers and delivered to the Board of Elections on Nov. 6.
Partial mail ballot results will be available on the board’s website after 8 p.m. on Nov. 5, but will not include the drop box ballots. The remaining drop box ballots and any still uncounted mail ballots will be added to the mail ballot totals and made available on the website between Nov. 6 and 7.
Provisional ballots will be added to polling place results and made available on the website between Nov. 7 and 8. Military and overseas ballots, as well as deficient mail ballots that are cured by voters and returned to the board by Nov. 8 through Nov. 12, will be added to the mail ballot results and made available on the website before the final election results are certified.
The board anticipates certifying final election results on Nov. 21.
Schedule
November 5th
Polling Place
These are ballots cast in-person at polling places on November 5th, encrypted, and securely transmitted from the polling place to the Board of Elections when polls close. These results will be available on the Board of Elections’ website (elections.ri.gov) on November 5th beginning at 8:00 p.m.
Early Voting
These results will be transmitted by local Boards of Canvassers on November 5th and will be available on the Board of Elections’ website beginning at 8:00 p.m.
Mail Ballots
While the Board expects to count most mail ballots by November 5th, ballots placed in authorized drop boxes at City/Town Halls or in polling places must still be tabulated. These ballots are sealed in envelopes and held in secure and sealed containers by the local Board of Canvassers and delivered to the Board of Elections on November 6th. Partial mail ballot results will be available on the Board of Elections’ website after 8:00 p.m. but will not include these drop box ballots.
November 6th – 7th
Remaining drop box ballots and any still uncounted mail ballots will be added to the Mail Ballots totals and made available on our website. Any precincts which failed to transmit their results on November 5th due to any technical issues will be added to the primary election results and made available on the Board of Elections’ website.
November 7th – 8th
Provisional ballots results will be added to Polling Place Results and will be made available on the Board of Elections’ website.
November 8th – 12th
Military/overseas ballots and deficient mail ballots cured by voters and due to the Board of Elections by November 8th – 12th will be added to Mail Ballots Results and will be made available on the Board of Elections’ website prior to final primary election results certification.
November 21st
The Rhode Island Board of Elections anticipates certifying final election results.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
