Press release from the Moderate Party of Rhode Island emailed to IPR:
Warwick– The Rhode Island Board of Elections will meet on Tuesday, September 13 at 3:30pm in a public hearing. Among the issues to be considered is the current design of the Voter Registration Form.
In 2010 the Voter Registration Form was redesigned to remove a list of party options in the box where a voter indicates their party affiliation. The current Voter Registration Form has only a blank box where a voter must write in their party affiliation.
For decades the Voter Registration Form has provided a multiple choice check box for party affiliation. In past years, that check box has included lines for the Cool Moose, Reform, Green and Moderate parties.
The current form causes confusion for new voters, who are not presented with a list of their party affiliation options.
Secretary of State Ralph Mollis has indicated his opposition to the current Voter Registration design to the Board of Elections.
Chairman of the RI State Democratic Party Ed Pacheco has also indicated to the Board of Elections his opposition to the current Voter Registration Form design.
Moderate Party of RI Chairman Ken Block will attend the Tuesday meeting of the Board of Elections to testify to his opposition to the current Voter Registration Form design.
Moderate Party Chairman Ken Block said: “The current Voter Registration Form penalizes new political parties. Voters are not necessarily aware of what their choices are for party affiliation and the State should not make them guess. It is the job of the State to educate voters on the party affiliation choices available at the time of voter registration.”