BARRINGTON, R.I. – Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis is reminding Barrington residents that three deadlines loom in the Jan. 18 special election to fill the School Committee seat formerly held by Jim Hasenfus.
Dec. 18 is the deadline to register to vote. Barrington residents can register at Town Hall on weekdays during normal business hours. Even though the deadline falls on a Saturday, Town Hall will be open that day from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for last-minute registrations.
In order to register and vote in the special election, you must be at least 18 years old, a resident of Rhode Island and a U.S. citizen.
In addition to first-time voters, the deadline also applies to residents who have moved or changed their names recently. State law requires voters to update their voter-registration records at least 30 days before an election.
Dec. 28 is the deadline to apply for a mail ballot. Voters who will be absent from the state on Jan. 18 or who are unable to vote in a polling place because of illness or disability are eligible.
Voter-registration forms and mail-ballot applications can be downloaded from the Secretary of State’s website. They also are available from the town clerk's office.
After the deadline for requesting a mail ballot, voters who will unexpectedly be out-of-town on the day of the special election can go to Town Hall through Jan. 17 and request an Emergency Ballot.
Democrat Joshua Berlinsky, Independent Joel Hellmann and Republican Christopher Ramsden have qualified to appear on the ballot.
The school committee seat opened up when Hasenfus resigned to run for the state Senate earlier this year. The Democrat failed in his bid to unseat Republican David Bates in November’s election.
Barrington polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Jan. 18. Mollis urges voters to use his website to confirm the location of their polling place.
As Secretary of State, Mollis oversees many aspects of federal, state and municipal elections held in Rhode Island. His office also publishes guidebooks that include important dates in the election cycle as well as outline how to run for office and how to register to vote.
Secretary of State Mollis is committed to making it easier for Rhode Islanders to vote, helping businesses grow and making government more open and accessible. For more information elections and voting, visit www.sos.ri.gov/elections.
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Media Contact: Chris Barnett at 222-4293 or cbarnett@sos.ri.gov.