Newport County voters have cast about 11% of all the ballots returned so far in Rhode Island’s general election — well above the county’s roughly 8% share of the state’s population — as early voting statewide runs far ahead of the last midterm’s pace.
The six communities in the county have together returned 7,468 ballots, according to the Rhode Island Department of State’s voter turnout tracker: 6,217 cast in person during early voting and 1,251 mail ballots received by boards of canvassers.
Portsmouth leads the county, and most of the state
Portsmouth ranks 10th among Rhode Island’s 39 municipalities in ballots cast, with 1,909. That puts a town of about 17,900 residents ahead of North Providence, Cumberland, Bristol and Woonsocket, all of which are larger. Woonsocket, with roughly 43,000 residents, has returned 968 ballots — about half Portsmouth’s total.
Jamestown has the highest participation in the state relative to its size. The town of about 5,600 residents has returned 1,005 ballots. Little Compton ranks third statewide by the same measure.
Newport, the county’s largest municipality, has returned the second-highest total in the county at 1,493 ballots, ranking 20th statewide. Middletown follows closely at 1,368.
| Community | Early | Total | State rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth | 1,588 | 321 | 1,909 | 10 |
| Newport | 1,174 | 319 | 1,493 | 20 |
| Middletown | 1,131 | 237 | 1,368 | 21 |
| Tiverton | 1,014 | 186 | 1,200 | 24 |
| Jamestown | 892 | 113 | 1,005 | 27 |
| Little Compton | 418 | 75 | 493 | 36 |
| Newport County | 6,217 | 1,251 | 7,468 | — |
Newport County voters are also favoring in-person early voting over mail more than the state as a whole. Mail accounts for about 17% of ballots cast here, compared with 23% statewide.
Statewide, 88% ahead of 2022
Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore’s office reported Monday that 45,969 voters had cast early in-person ballots in the first 10 days of early voting as of 4:30 p.m. Friday — 88% more than the 24,393 who voted early over the same period in 2022, the most recent midterm. In this year’s primary, 12,281 voted during the first 10 days.
“These high levels of participation in the beginning of the early voting period show us that Rhode Islanders like to have options for how and when to cast their ballot,” Amore said in a statement. “As early voting becomes more well-known and more voters try it, many find it to be a fast, convenient way to cast their ballot.”
The state’s tracker has since climbed higher. Statewide, 50,173 voters have cast early in-person ballots and 15,269 mail ballots have been received, for 65,442 ballots in all.
Early voting has grown steadily as a method since 2022, so part of the increase reflects voters shifting from Election Day or mail rather than new voters. Total turnout won’t be known until the polls close.
If you haven’t voted yet
Early in-person voting continues through Monday, Nov. 2, the day before the election.
Mail ballots must be received — not postmarked — by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters who plan to mail theirs should do so no later than Tuesday, Oct. 27, the state said. Ballots can also go in a secure elections drop box, available 24 hours a day until 8 p.m. Nov. 3, or be handed in at a polling place on Election Day.
At vote.ri.gov, voters can view a sample ballot, find their early voting location and hours, find their Election Day polling place, review the Voter Information Handbook and locate a secure elections drop box.
Running figures by municipality are posted on the state’s Voter Turnout Tracker.
