Voters who are affiliated with the Democratic or Republican Party have until June 11 to disaffiliate if they plan on voting in a different party’s primary September 9. Voters can disaffiliate by contacting the board of canvassers in the city or town that is their legal residence. By state law, voters have 90 days before a primary, special election or general election to disaffiliate. State law does not require voters who are affiliated with so-called "third parties" to disaffiliate.
An altogether different deadline looms for Rhode Islanders who want to run for federal, state or local office. State law requires candidates to file official Declarations of Candidacy from June 23 -25.
Candidates for federal office must file declarations with the Secretary of State’s Elections Division at 148 West River St., Providence. Would-be candidates for state and local offices must file with the board of canvassers in the city or town that is their legal residence.
More than 213,000 voters turned out for Rhode Island’s March 4 presidential primary, which was nearly three times the number of voters who turned out for the state’s last competitive presidential primary in 2000.