2026 Election ToolKit

1. Introduction    

2. Important Dates and Deadlines for Voters

3. The 2026 Ballot Questions

4. Where Is the Voter Information Center?

5. How Do I Register to Vote?

6. How Do I Find My Polling Place?

7. How Do I Become a Poll Worker?

8. Questions for Candidates

9. 2022 Candidate Briefing Book

10. The 2026 Playbook for Governing Rhode Island into Prosperity

11.Voter Resources from Other Organizations

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 

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 

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. 

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. 

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.  

Raising Revenue for Rhode Island 

Background: In 2025, Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will result in RI losing more than $300 million per year in federal funds for things like healthcare and food assistance – in order to pay for tax breaks for the richest. During the 2026 legislative session, the RI General Assembly passed legislation to create a millionaires tax – phased in over three years – that will tax income over $1 million and generate approximately $166 million per year in revenue once fully implemented.  

Question: In light of significant federal funding cuts to RI that will cause thousands of Rhode Islanders to lose access to healthcare and/or food assistance, do you support measures to raise more revenue, recover more taxes from corporations, and ensure everyone pays their fair share so that all Rhode Islanders can meet their basic needs?

Child Tax Credit (CTC) 

Background: A Child Tax Credit (CTC) helps with the costs of raising children and has been proven to significantly reduce child poverty levels. Rhode Island just passed legislation to create a fully refundable state CTC of $330 per child this year. The phase-out of RI's CTC begins at $88,500 for single filers and $110,640 for joint filers. DC and states like Colorado, Minnesota, and California have state CTCs of $1,000 or more per child. 

Question: Do you support expanding the state Child Tax Credit? 

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 has been 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 Earned Income Tax Credit?  

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 people with no qualifying family are not eligible to benefit from the program, despite paying into it.  

Question 1: 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 $100,000 in earnings. Most states with a paid family leave program, including Massachusetts and Connecticut, tax salaries up to the Social Security contribution base, which is $184,500.  

Question 2: To expand paid family leave, do you support taxing worker salaries up to $184,500 like MA and CT?  

Background: Rhode Island workers currently receive 60% of their average paycheck when they use TCI; this will increase to 70% in 2027 and 75% in 2028. However, Massachusetts and Connecticut pay low-wage workers 80% and 95% of their average paycheck when using paid family leave. This higher benefit rate allows low-wage workers to use the paid family leave they are entitled to. 

Question 3: Do you support increasing the wage replacement rate for TCI in Rhode Island? 

Background: Rhode Island is one of three states, out of 14 states and D.C., with paid family leave that does not provide an opt-in option for self-employed workers, independent contractors, and gig workers. 

Question 4: Do you support creating an opt-in option for self-employed workers, gig workers, and independent contractors to access TCI? 

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, without assistance. In 2024, Providence was ranked the least affordable metropolitan city for renters. The minimum wage in RI is currently $16/hour and is set to go up to $17/hour in 2027. However, the living wage for a single adult in RI is currently $25/hour, and there is currently no law that requires the minimum wage to increase over time to keep pace with inflation. 

Question 1: Do you support increasing the minimum wage to make it an actual living wage? 

Question 2: Do you support legislation to tie the minimum wage to inflation so that it continues to grow in step with the economy? 

Multilingual Learners 

Background: Rhode Island’s multilingual learner population has grown by 110% in the last 10 years and multilingual learners now make up 16% of the overall student population. In 2026, the RI General Assembly allocated $750,000 in funding for dual language teacher certifications and dual language programs in RI. However, with only 8.9% of multilingual learners currently enrolled in dual language programs, we need more funding to meet the needs of multilingual learners in the state. 

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

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? 

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? 

Investments in Healthcare in Response to Unprecedented Federal Funding Cuts 

Background: In 2025, Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which cut nearly one trillion dollars in Medicaid funding over 10 years and will cause tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders to lose health insurance. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2028, RI will lose more than $275 million per year in federal Medicaid funding, and the number of people without health insurance will significantly increase; without state intervention, this will significantly strain hospitals, free clinics, and community health centers. 

Question 1: Do you support increasing investments in free clinics, community health centers, and hospitals to provide care to people losing health insurance? 

Question 2: Do you support investing in expanding the scope of care that people can receive without insurance to include lifesaving measures such as prescription medication, durable medical equipment, and necessary procedures? 

Medicare Savings Program (MSP) 

Background: Healthcare costs have significantly increased in recent years, and more than half of Rhode Islanders struggle to afford their basic needs without assistance. The Medicare Savings Program (MSP) helps low-income seniors and disabled Rhode Islanders afford medical care by paying for premiums and some out-of-pocket costs. However, the asset limit for MSP means that if an individual has managed to save more than $9,950 over the course of her life, she would not be eligible for MSP even if she is living on a small, fixed income. 

Question: Do you support eliminating the asset test for the Medicare Savings Program to help more Rhode Islanders afford healthcare? 

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), which is $16,500 a year for a family of four. 

Question 1: Do you support increasing RI Works benefits so RI families will not have to live in deep poverty? 

Background: Prior to 2007, the RI Works program did not require a five-year waiting period for Legal Permanent Residents (LPR). Since then, children and families suffering in deep poverty have been excluded from assessing cash assistance and workforce readiness programming due to an arbitrary waiting period. Rhode Island would join 13 other states if it repeals the five-year waiting period for LPRs to access RI Works.  

Question 2: Do you support eliminating the five-year waiting period for Legal Permanent Residents to access RI Works? 

Equity Impact Statements 

Background: An Equity Impact Statement is a tool to help measure whether a bill, if it becomes law, would make Rhode Island fairer and more equitable, or less so.   

Question: Do you support legislation requiring Equity Impact Statements (like fiscal notes) for the proposed legislation and the state budget? 

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. While the RI General Assembly has made progress by decriminalizing and then legalizing marijuana, much more needs to be done to address the widespread financial harm caused by the disproportionate enforcement of marijuana and other drug laws on Black and Latino communities.  

Question 1: Do you support legislation that would direct more tax revenue from marijuana legalization to be invested in communities that were disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs?  

Background: In 2025 Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which cut funding for programs like Medicaid and SNAP while increasing funding for immigration enforcement (ICE). Thousands of lawfully-present immigrants in RI have lost food assistance and will lose health insurance due to OBBBA – leaving families without access to programs that their tax dollars help support. OBBBA intentionally targeted immigrant communities by both limiting access to vital benefits and by expanding funding for punitive enforcement systems. 

Question: Do you support the state making targeted investments to help immigrant families targeted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act? 

Supporting Immigrants Being Harmed by Federal Policies 

Background: In 2025 Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which cut funding for programs like Medicaid and SNAP while increasing funding for immigration enforcement (ICE). Thousands of lawfully-present immigrants in RI have lost food assistance and will lose health insurance due to OBBBA – leaving families without access to programs that their tax dollars help support. OBBBA intentionally targeted immigrant communities by both limiting access to vital benefits and by expanding funding for punitive enforcement systems. 

Question: Do you support the state making targeted investments to help immigrant families targeted by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act? 

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?

The Rhode Island Voting Rights Act 

Background: All eligible Rhode Islanders should be able to exercise their right to vote. However, U.S. Supreme Court decisions made in Shelby County v. Holder (2013) and Louisiana v. Callais (2026) have dismantled major federal voting protections. The absence of federal protections makes voting rights and elections in Rhode Island vulnerable.  

Question: Would you support a voting rights act in RI to protect Rhode Islander’s rights and ensure fair elections?

Funding RIPTA, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority  

Background: RIPTA is a crucial means of transportation for many low-income Rhode Islanders and transports over 42,000 Rhode Islanders every day. In August 2025, the RIPTA Board voted to reduce service on 45 out of 67 routes, reducing services by approximately 15% across the system, and resulting in a significant decline in ridership. During the 2026 legislative session, the RI General Assembly allocated sufficient funds to close RIPTA’s estimated $14 million budget deficit. However, this allocation was not enough to reverse the 2025 service cuts. 

Question: Do you support allocating enough funding to restore RIPTA’s services to pre-September 2025 levels and to improve/expand routes?