Just one week after chaotic national and local elections, the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity announced today that it has launched a statewide petition drive to compel lawmakers to restore public trust in public elections.
With the goal to make it easy to vote but hard to cheat, it is vital to restore trust among the people of Rhode Island when it comes to the integrity of our elections.
The election uncertainty in our state, caused by a voting process that was unilaterally and arbitrarily imposed by bureaucrats – outside of the legislative process – has divided Rhode Islanders and has led to mass distrust, accusations of fraud, lack of transparency, hyper-partisanship, and costly recounts. The irregular and late reporting of mail ballot tabulations also caused mass confusion, as many races were flipped in the wee hours of the morning, even after some had been called in favor of the eventual losing candidate.
“Free and fair elections are under assault in our state,” warned the Center’s CEO, Mike Stenhouse. “Signers of our petition can make their voices heard in demanding a return to a secure and trustworthy voting process.”
Among the reforms called for in the petition:
- End mass distribution of unsolicited mail ballot applications
- End the unregulated practice ballot harvesting
- Restore 3rd party mail/absentee ballot validation requirements