Rhode Island Department of State
Gregg M. Amore

Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore Statement on Election Administration Executive Order

PROVIDENCE, RI – Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore today released the following statement after the signing of a new Executive Order targeting election administration:

"President Trump has a long history of undermining voters' confidence in our election systems and spreading misinformation about how elections work. Despite these efforts, which are at the heart of this Executive Order, I remain confident that our elections, managed by professional administrators, are safe, secure, and trustworthy.

Beyond that, elements of this Executive Order closely echo pieces of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (the SAVE Act), which I have already voiced my opposition to. The SAVE Act deviates from pro-voter and pro-democracy policies that make it easier for people to cast a ballot by placing an undue burden on American citizens. It is already illegal for non-citizens to vote, and requiring documentation proving citizenship effectively creates a poll tax for voters. Through this Executive Order, President Trump is disregarding our country's separation of powers as the SAVE Act makes its way through Congress.

While our team works diligently to review President Trump's Executive Order in full, and ultimately it will be up to the courts to determine if the provisions within the Order will hold, it's important that Rhode Islanders are reminded of the facts of how elections are administered in our state.

Our democracy depends on the continuation of our democratic processes – and participating in that democracy is one of the most fundamental tenets of our American values.

I look forward to continuing to safeguard those processes as Rhode Island's Secretary of State, ensuring that all eligible Rhode Islanders can successfully cast their ballot."

Despite the claims made in the Executive Order, the following election administration facts remain true in Rhode Island:

All voters already attest to their United States citizenship and eligibility to vote, under penalty of perjury. Whether Rhode Islanders register online, at the Division of Motor Vehicles, or by paper form, they affirm their eligibility to vote on their registration form.

Rhode Island already uses paper ballots. Even votes marked via touch-screen accessible ExpressVote devices generate a paper record.

Rhode Island is already a participant in the very type of information-sharing agreements mentioned in the Order, intended to identify potential instances of election fraud, including federal and state agencies. Despite the misinformation that has been publicized about the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), the RI Department of State's Elections Division has found ERIC to be an effective tool in both voter list maintenance and identification of potential instances of election fraud.

Rhode Island already undergoes regular voter list maintenance efforts. A statewide voter mailing in 2020 ultimately resulted in 60,619 inactive voter registrations being removed from the state's voter list. The Department of State is committed to continuing this work, and in this year's budget request, Secretary Amore requested funds to support an additional voter list maintenance mailing effort.

All ballots must be cast in person or received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. The only exception is for military and overseas voters.

To learn more about elections in Rhode Island, visit https://vote.sos.ri.gov/.

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