News & Commentary

Local residents joined the ACLU of Rhode Island today to sue the City of Cranston, charging that the 2012 redistricting plan for the City Council and School Committee violates the one person, one vote principle of the U.S. Constitution by counting incarcerated people in their prison location as if they were all residents of Cranston. Because those incarcerated were counted as Cranston residents, three voters in the prison’s district have as much voting power as four voters in every other city district, according to Census Bureau data. Cranston residents Karen Davidson, Debbie Flitman, Eugene Perry, and Sylvia Weber have joined the ACLU of Rhode Island as plaintiffs in the case. They are represented in federal court by Demos, the Prison Policy Initiative, and the ACLU. Plaintiff Davidson said today: “As a long-time resident and taxpayer of Cranston, I am deeply concerned that the City Council decided in 2012 to perpetuate this voting inequity, especially after the ACLU pointed out the constitutional problems with it. It is time for city officials to show some leadership and stop wasting taxpayers’ money defending themselves from legal challenges like this.”

The ACLU of Rhode Island has released materials today advising voters of their rights at the polls as Woonsocket prepares to host the state’s first election under a restrictive photo voter ID law.

The ACLU of Rhode Island today urged Exeter voters to know their rights at the polls for Saturday’s election, particularly in regard to the state’s Voter ID law.  Under the state’s Voter ID law, voters are required to show some form of identification to vote.  Photo ID is not required.  Registered voters who are unable to show identification must still be allowed to vote, and must be offered a provisional ballot at the polling place which will be counted as a full ballot after poll workers verify the signature matches that on a voter registration.  To help inform voters about the requirements of this law and other election issues, the ACLU has published a free brochure explaining rules and regulations surrounding voting on Election Day, the new voter identification rules, and how to deal with problems at the polls.  That brochure is available on the ACLU’s website.  

In 2011, the General Assembly passed a controversial voter ID law, over the objections of many civil rights, community, labor and open government groups concerned about its impact on voting rights for the poor, the elderly, racial minorities and other vulnerable groups. In seeking to mitigate the potential harm of this law, a House committee yesterday passed a “reform” bill, H-5776A, that could potentially leave even more Rhode Islanders unable to vote in the next election.

Today eight groups, including the Rhode Island ACLU, sent a letter to the Board of Elections calling on that body to issue rules for implementing the state's new Voter ID law. In less than two weeks the new law goes into effect and so far the organization responsible for monitoring its enforcement at the polls has not set any guidelines. Without rules from the Board of Elections, during Rhode Island's next election our polling places could be thrown into confusion.

On November 6th, voters will be required for the first time in a Presidential election to show some form of identification at the polls. To help inform voters about the requirements of this new law and other election issues, the Rhode Island ACLU has published a free brochure and postcard explaining rules and regulations surrounding voting on Election Day, the new voter identification rules, and how to deal with problems at the polls. The brochure is available in English, and the postcard is available in both English and in Spanish.

In a petition filed today in the state Supreme Court, RI ACLU volunteer attorney Armando Batastini has asked the Court to order the state Board of Elections to conduct a manual recount of all precinct, mail and provisional ballots cast in the Representative District 58 Democratic Primary. The petition is on behalf of candidate Carlos Tobon, whose purported one-vote loss to incumbent William San Bento has been mired in controversy and confusion since election night. The ACLU’s petition also asks for an audit of all mail and provisional ballots in that election to determine the qualification of each voter submitting those ballots.

The RI ACLU today announced it has agreed to file a petition in the Rhode Island Supreme Court on behalf of state Representative candidate Carlos Tobon, whose purported one vote loss to incumbent William San Bento has been mired in controversy and confusion since election night. The petition will seek a review of the election results in light of multiple errors that have come to light about the conduct of that election.

Although a new redistricting plan for the state House and Senate was signed into law two weeks ago, the public remains in the dark as to whether the lines that were drawn ensure fair representation for racial minorities. That is the gist of a detailed four-page letter sent by six community organizations to the state’s redistricting consultant, Kimball Brace, seeking an explanation for his failure to use or release any racial bloc voting analysis despite being required to do so under his contract with the state.