Introduction

Our system of government is democratic. This means that our democracy derives from us, the people. Elections provide an opportunity to make sure your voice is heard and the issues that matter most to your communities are taken seriously. The Economic Progress Institute (EPI) offers this resource to help provide you with the information you need to make the best decisions as you vote this fall. Democracy depends upon participation and engagement, and one of the best ways to become an engaged participant is to stay informed! 

United Way of Rhode Island provided funding to make this project possible. United Way of Rhode Island is a statewide nonprofit organization that unites communities and resources to build racial equity and opportunities for all Rhode Islanders. Through community partnerships, advocacy, philanthropy, and strategic investments, United Way advances economic security, supports childhood learning, and expands access to essential resources and services across the state. Thank you, United Way of Rhode Island!

November Ballot Questions

The RI Constitution gives the General Assembly the power to refer certain measures to the statewide ballot every two years. These include constitutional amendments, statutes, and bond measures.

There are six bond issues that are on the ballot in 2026. A bond issue is a request for permission for the State of Rhode Island to borrow money for projects of statewide impact. A bond is a debt, or a long-term loan, but also a security. This means that if voters approve the bond questions, the RI government may borrow money from a private lender that is secured by the government's assets. In all, RI voters have the opportunity to support or oppose the four questions whose total initial cost is $343.5 million, but whose actual cost will be considerably higher with decades of interest.

Questions 1 & 2

Question 1: Rhode Island Economic and Infrastructure Development - $100 million 

Issuance of this bond would fund up to $100 million in infrastructure and economic development projects.  

  • $55 million would be put towards site development, including:
    • Industrial site selection, land acquisition, and preparation
    • Infrastructure investments and improvements in the Quonset Business Park
    • Project investments in the I-95 district
  • $45 million would go towards infrastructure and investments that support Rhode Island’s ocean and life sciences industries 

Question 2: Environment and Watershed Protection and Development - $50 million 

Issuance of this bond would fund up to $55 million for environmental and recreational purposes.  

  • $25 million in bonds to provide financial assistance to the local government for water infrastructure improvements
  • $12 million in bonds to fund the renovation, repair, and construction of existing and new recreational facilities
  • $7 million in bonds to fund Narragansett Bay and state watershed restoration and water quality protection
  • $3 million in bonds to fund up to 80% matching grants for non-profit brownfield remediation projects
  • $3 million in bonds to provide to the agricultural land preservation commission for farmland protection
  • $3 million in bonds to fund the acquisition of open space, watershed, and recreational lands
  • $1 million in bonds to fund up to 80% matching grants for local recreation projects
  • $1 million in bonds to fund asset protection and emergency repair for recreational and marine infrastructure 

Questions 3 & 4

Question 3: Higher Education Facilities - $275 million 

Issuance of this bond would fund up to $275 million in the construction and improvement of higher education facilities. 

  • $165 million in bonds to fund the construction of a new integrated health building for the University of Rhode Island, Kingston campus. The building would be designed advance health education, clinical training, and workforce development.
  • $60 million in bonds to fund the construction of a workforce innovation center at the Community College of Rhode Island, Warwick campus. The center would be designed to support workforce readiness and address workforce shortages in Rhode Island.
  • $50 million in bonds to fund the construction and renovation of a student success and career readiness center at the Adams Library at Rhode Island College. 

Question 4: Historical Center and Cultural Grants - $50 million

Issuance of this bond would fund up to $50 million in cultural and historical projects in the state. 

  • $45 million in bonds to fund the construction of a new Rhode Island State History Center
  • $5 million in bonds to provide matching grants administered by the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission to fund capital improvements to public historic sites, museums, and cultural art centers. 

Question 5

Question 5: Housing and Development - $120 million 

Issuance of this bond would fund up to $120 million in projects to increase and preserve the availability of affordable and accessible housing in Rhode Island. Of the $120 million, at least $25 million must be allocated to increasing the production of housing specifically intended for homeownership. Additionally, up to $10 million of the $120 million could be used to support a public housing development program.  

Where Is the Voter Information Center?

The Secretary of State’s Voter Information Center offers excellent resources and information on this website: https://vote.sos.ri.gov. Here is a screenshot of the site to help you recognize it online. 

How Do I Register to Vote?

Visit https://vote.sos.ri.gov and click on Register to Vote, shown above. It has a big checkmark on it that looks like this ✓. Once you click on Register to Vote ✓, here is a screenshot of your next screen of information.

What Are Important Dates and Deadlines for Voters?

Aug. 10, 2026: Voter registration/disaffiliation deadline for primaries 

Aug. 19, 2026: Deadline to submit a mail ballot application for primaries 

Aug. 20 to Sept. 10, 2026:  Early voting and emergency mail ballot period for primaries  

Sept. 9, 2026:  Party primaries 

Oct. 4, 2026:  Registration deadline to vote in the General Election  

Oct. 13, 2026:  Deadline to submit a mail ballot application for the General Election  

Oct. 14 to Nov. 2, 2026:  Early voting and emergency mail ballot period for the General Election  

Nov. 3, 2026: General Election 

How Do I Find My Polling Place?

Visit https://vote.sos.ri.gov and click on Find a Polling Place / View Sample Ballot icon as shown at left. As shown in the screenshot, enter accurate information about where you live. Then, you will be directed to your official polling place. It is likely to be located not that far from your home. 

How Do I Become a Poll Worker?

Democracy is not a spectator sport. It needs participants to function. Each city and town is responsible for recruiting people to work at their local polls. The State Board of Elections conducts trainings for poll workers to make sure they are prepared and understand the key role they play in improving access to the ballot box. If you are interested in being a poll worker, visit https://vote.sos.ri.gov. Go to the bottom of the page and click on Be a Poll Worker, as shown to the right, then fill out the Poll Worker Application. 

Poll workers are paid by the local Board of Canvassers for their service on Election Day. Pay varies by city/town. See the latest Statewide Poll Worker Pay Rates. 

Questions for Candidates

When electing members of the RI General Assembly, you have an important role in shaping the future of your communities. Asking candidates questions is essential for making an informed choice and helps clarify their positions on key issues. It also gives candidates the opportunity to share their plans for solving problems and making improvements in our state. Engaging with candidates through thoughtful questions provides insight into their policy priorities and helps keep them accountable to their promises. This process empowers voters to select representatives who truly reflect their values and interests. 

RI Budget, Revenue and Tax Fairness

Millionaires Tax 

Background: In Rhode Island, low-wage workers pay more of their incomes in state and local taxes than do millionaires. This year there was a proposal to create a millionaires tax that would tax income over $1 million. It would only affect 2,100 tax filers but raise an estimated $126 million to be invested in public education, childcare, public transportation, and roads and bridges.  

Question: Do you support a millionaires tax to raise revenue and ensure everyone pays their fair share?

 

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) 

Background: The state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a tool that puts money back into the pockets of working families. The EITC is proven to reduce poverty. In Rhode Island, the EITC is 16% of the federal EITC, whereas Connecticut and Massachusetts have EITCS that are 40% of the federal EITC. 

Question: Do you support raising the state EITC? 

Child Tax Credit (CTC) 

Background: A Child Tax Credit (CTC) helps with the costs of raising children and has been proven to cut childhood poverty rates by nearly half. Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, and 12 other states have CTCs, but Rhode Island does not have a CTC. 

Question: Do you support creating a state Child Tax Credit to significantly reduce child poverty? 

Economic Opportunity

Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI) 

Background: Rhode Islanders use Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI) as paid family leave to care for new babies or family members who are very ill. Under current law, some family members (like grandchildren and siblings) and people with no qualifying family are not eligible to benefit from the program, despite paying into it. 

Question: Do you support expanding the definition of “family” so more Rhode Islanders can use TCI to care for their families? 

Background: TCI is completely paid for by RI workers, but worker salaries are only taxed on the first $87,000 in earnings. Massachusetts, Connecticut, and three other states tax salaries up to the Social Security contribution base, which is $168,600.1  

Question: To expand paid family leave, do you support taxing worker salaries up to $168,600 like MA and CT? 

Background: Rhode Island workers get only 60% of their average paycheck when using TCI, the state paid family leave program. This makes it very hard for low-wage workers to use the paid family leave they are entitled to. Massachusetts and Connecticut pay low-wage workers 80% and 95% of their weekly wage when using paid family leave.  

Question: Do you support increasing the wage replacement rate for TCI in Rhode Island? 

Making the Minimum Wage a Living Wage 

Background: More than half of Rhode islanders are struggling to meet their basic needs like rent, food, healthcare, and childcare expenses. Providence also experienced the highest rent increase in the country in 2023. 

Question: Do you support legislation to increase the minimum wage above $15/hour and tie it to inflation so that Rhode Island workers can earn a living wage? 

 

Multilingual Learners 

Background: Rhode Island’s multilingual learner population has grown by 63% since 2015 and multilingual learners now make up 12.5% of the overall student population — one out of every eight students in RI. However, RI is not investing enough in the education of multilingual children, especially compared to other states. 

Question: Do you support increasing education funding for multilingual students and creating pathways to hire more multilingual teachers? 

Investments in Children

Child Care for Child Care Educators 

Background: Through the Child Care for Child Care Educators pilot program, qualified frontline childcare providers, most of whom are low-wage earners, can receive free childcare services for their own children. This innovative program has begun to reduce the childcare staffing crisis in Rhode Island. 

Question: Do you support making this pilot program permanent? 

Child Care Assistance Program 

Background: Rhode Island requires low-income families to establish paternity and child support orders as a condition of receiving the Child Care Assistance Program. This requirement creates unnecessary and lasting turmoil between co-parents and is not in the best interest of the child.  

Question: Would you vote to eliminate the child support mandate required to participate in the Child Care Assistance Program? 

Investments in Healthcare

Medicare Savings Program (MSP) 

Background: Average healthcare costs have increased in recent years, and more than half of Rhode Islanders struggle to afford their basic needs. The Medicare Savings Program (MSP) helps low-income seniors and disabled Rhode Islanders afford medical care, but its income eligibility limits are so low that they exclude many people who need help with medical costs. 

Question: Do you support increasing the income eligibility for the Medicare Savings Program? 

Lifting Rhode Islanders Out of Poverty

RI Works 

Background: RI Works is a program, paid for with federal funds, that provides cash assistance for poor families — 70% of the recipients are children. However, families getting cash assistance are still living in deep poverty, which is defined as when a household’s total income falls below 50% of the Federal Poverty Limit (FPL). 

Question: Do you support increasing RI Works benefits so RI families will not have to live in deep poverty? 

 

Predatory Payday Lending Rates 

Background: Under current state law, payday lenders are allowed to charge annual interest rates of up to 260%, while all other lenders in the state cannot charge more than 36%. Payday lenders trap low-income Rhode Islanders in cycles of debt, drain millions from our local economy, and target communities of color.  

Question: Do you support capping annual interest rates for payday loans at 36% like other lenders in the state? 

Race, Equity, and Democracy

Equity Impact Statements 

Background: An equity impact statement is a tool to help measure whether a bill, if it became law, would make Rhode Island fairer and more equitable, or less so.  

Question: Do you support legislation to require equity impact assessments (like fiscal notes) of the state budget and proposed legislation? 

 

The Reinvestment of Proceeds Generated by the Legalization of Marijuana 

Background: When marijuana possession was illegal, Black and Latino Americans were arrested and jailed for marijuana crimes at much higher rates than White Americans, even though they had similar rates of marijuana use. This unequal punishment caused great financial and emotional harm to Black and Latino communities.  

Question: Do you support legislation to direct some of the money generated by marijuana legalization to be reinvested in communities that were disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs? 

Same-Day Voter Registration 

Background: Same-day voter registration allows people to register to vote right up to election day, and it is proven to increase voter turnout. Strong democracies need voter participation. 

Question: Would you vote to implement same-day voter registration in Rhode Island? 

 

Funding RIPTA, the RI Public Transit Authority 

Background: RIPTA, the public transit authority, is a crucial means of transportation for many low-income Rhode Islanders and transports an average of 52,600 Rhode Islanders every day. Currently, many routes do not run often enough, and driver salaries are not competitive with our neighboring states. 

Question: Do you support increasing funding for RIPTA to improve/expand routes and ensure driver salaries are competitive enough to fill positions? 

Candidate Briefing Book

Another resource that EPI has provided as a means of opening a discussion focused on improving the lives of everyday Rhode Islanders is a candidate briefing book, which we first published in 2022. Although we are in the middle of the 2024 election cycle, this resource asks a question that’s relevant regardless of the calendar year: If every election presents an opportunity for positive change, what kind of change do you want to see in Rhode Island?

We all share the common value of fair treatment and economic prosperity for ourselves and our families. We want to live in healthy and vibrant communities where we can thrive. Elections remind us that policies have significant impact on the communities, people, and issues we value. The challenge is identifying and implementing policies that will deliver meaningful and equitable results.

We think this briefing book provides a starting place for you to examine policies affecting you, your family, and your community. EPI’s expert policy analysts have researched these policies and the factors you may need to consider when promoting budgetary and legislative solutions.

Here is a link to the briefing book: https://economicprogressri.org/publications/2022-candidate-briefing-book. 

We encourage you to read, share, and discuss the issues raised in it. Let us know your thoughts! 

Voter Resources from Other Organizations

Common Cause is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that exists to help demystify, protect, and build a better democracy in Rhode Island. It stands “with those that hold power accountable, regardless of who is in power.” For more information on Common Cause Rhode Island, visit https://www.commoncause.org/rhode-island/our-work/. To sign up for their newsletter or if you’re interested in volunteering, visit https://www.commoncause.org/rhode-island/about-us/. 

United Way of Rhode Island has stood up an excellent website, called United We Vote, with lots of information. Visit and bookmark it at https://unitedwevoteri.org/. 

EPI co-leads the Protect Our Healthcare Coalition (POHC), which works on policies to protect and expand access to quality, affordable healthcare for all Rhode Islanders. POHC has published voter education guides in English and Spanish.