BURRILLVILLE – The Burrillville Democratic Town Committee will hand out mail-in ballot applications on Sunday, Aug. 16 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. along Main Street in Harrisville, near the Harrisville Post Office and the Burrillville Planning Department.
Voters all over Rhode Island received a postcard from Rhode Island Secretary of State’s office giving voters three, “options” for voting in Rhode Island’s September 8 Primary Day election.
Now, one group is making sure that everyone who wants an application, gets one.
“The three options included voting from home. But to do that voters need to send in a mail-in ballot application,” said Kathan Mospaw Lambert, chair of the Burrillville Democratic Town Committee. “Many can’t print out their own or find it challenging to get an application. We are helping make this part of the process easier.”
Applications for a mail-in ballot have increased statewide and all across the country because of COVID-19, out of abundance of caution as a substitute for voting in person on election day.
The process is straight forward according to the BDTC: get an application from your local Board of Canvassers or online, fill out the application and mail or deliver it to your local board of canvassers so they receive it no later than 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The local board of canvassers will review your application and compare your signature with the signature on your voter record. Once completed, a mail ballot packet will be sent to the address listed on your application.
According to the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s office website, a mail ballot packet includes your mail ballot, a voter’s Mail Ballot Certificate envelope, voting from home instructions wrap, a postage-paid return envelope and a Voted by Mail sticker.
“This becomes a viable option for anyone who does not want to stand in long lines or feel threatened by the likelihood of catching the coronavirus. We also want to build confidence in this approach. Many in Rhode Island have taken advantage of mail-in voting for many, many years and this is a good option for the times,” said Mospaw Lambert. “The more we do it, the more routine it becomes.”
And mail-in voting seems to be catching on in Rhode Island. According to the Rhode Island Board of Elections, more than 103,000 of the 126,071 votes cast in the June 2020 presidential primary were cast by mail-ballot voters. COVID-19 postponed the original April 28 presidential primary date and pushed it forward to June 2.
“Our event is non-partisan. Any Rhode Island registered voter who wants to vote in the Democratic or Republican September Primary can get an application,” said Mospaw Lambert. “Just remember that the applications are due in the local Board of Canvassers no later than 4 p.m. on August 18. So if you live in Burrillville, Glocester or North Smithfield this is a good opportunity to get an application.”
Voters can also get an application by calling or visiting their local board of canvassers. Phone numbers are included on the Mail Ballot Application or available online
For more information, contact Mospaw Lambert at (401) 529-4581 or katemospaw@aol.com.
