Rhode Island State and Local Government

The Green Papers: State and Local Government

Rhode Island

Governor:	1	(Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms)
Senators:	2	(Electoral Classes 1 and 2)
2000 Representatives:	2	(0.46% of 435)
2002 Representatives:	2	(0.46% of 435)
2004 Electors:	4	(0.75% of 535)
1990 Census:	1,003,464	(0.40% of 248,765,170)
2000 Census:	1,049,662	(0.37% of 281,998,273)
Registered Voters (2000):	655,107
Estimated Voting age population (2000):	753,000
Capital:	Providence

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States Alphabetically Current Rhode Island Statewide Office Holders


Official Name/Status All States
	The STATE of Rhode Island
	Full Official Name: The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
	Ratified Articles of Confederation: 9 July 1778.
	Ratified Constitution of the United States: 29 May 1790
	The 13th state.


Traditional Sections and Regions All States
	Section: NORTHEAST
	Region: New England
	Survey: Metes & Bounds

Constitutions All States Links to State Constitutions

Enabling Act: [None. One of the 13 original States which declared their independence from the nascent British Empire on 4 July 1776. Rhode Island operated under its colonial Charter of 1663 until 1843]

• 1st [Adopted: 18 November 1841 This was the so-called "People's Constitution", framed by a Convention convened on 4 October 1841; calling for an independent Judiciary and universal manhood suffrage (both long denied by the colonial Charter of 1663 under which the State then operated), this document set the stage for "Dorr's Rebellion" (Thomas Dorr was elected Governor under this "People's Constitution" on 18 April 1842 but was strongly rebuffed by the State government under the Charter in his attempt to organize the State government along the lines of this "People's Constitution" on 3 May 1842), Ratified: 29 December 1841 ratified by the Town Meetings]

• 2nd (1843--) [Adopted: 5 November 1842 This was the so-called "Freeman's Constitution": originally adopted by a Convention called by the legislature (in an attempt to answer the "People's Constitution"), it was rejected by the Town Meetings, 23 March 1842. The Convention reconvened, 12 September 1842 and drafted a modified version of the "Freeman's Constitution" that now incorporated at least some of the features of the "People's Constitution" ratified in December 1841, Ratified: 23 November 1842 ratified by the Town Meetings; effective, 2 May 1843]

Executive Branch All States

Chief Executive
	• GOVERNOR
Successor to a Vacancy
	• Lieutenant Governor [elected separately from GOVERNOR]

Major Executive Officers Elected Statewide All States 2008 Office holders
	• Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms
	• Lieutenant Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006
	• Secretary of State: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006
	• Attorney General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006
	• General Treasurer: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2002, 2006

Legislative Branch All States

Legislature
	• GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Upper House
	• Senate
Lower House
	• House of Representatives

Judicial Branch All States

Court of Last Resort
	• Supreme Court

Local Government


PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION All States
	• county [Type: Vestigial, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]
	MINOR CIVIL DIVISION All States
		• TOWN [Type: Very Strong, Executive: Council, Legislative: TOWN MEETING]

Incorporated Municipalities All States

Localities
	• Rhode Island Civil Divisions and Municipalities

Statutory Election Information All States

General Election All States
	• A meeting of the electors ... shall be held biennially in the even years on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November ... [General Laws of RI 17-18-5]
Presidential Primary All States
	• (1996--) 1st Tuesday in March of Presidential Election years [General Laws of RI 17-12.1-1]
State Primary All States
	• 2d Tuesday after 1st Monday in September of even-numbered years [General Laws of RI 17-15-1]. Party designation. � (a) Whenever any person registers to vote, that person may designate his or her party affiliation, or that person may designate that he or she is not affiliated with any political party. ... (c) Whenever any person participates [votes -Ed] in a party primary, that act shall serve as identifying the person as being affiliated with the party... [General Laws of RI 17-9.1-23]
Polling times All States
	• Elective meetings ... shall be opened for the purpose of voting at the hours specified for each particular city or town as designated in the specific time ... (polls open 7 am to 9 am by location; as late as 12 noon by location for Presidential Primaries -Ed) [General Laws of RI 17-18-10]. Elective meetings in all cities and towns shall be continuously kept open for voting until 9 p.m. [General Laws of RI 17-18-11, also 17-15-28].

Links Links to other web sites

Constitution
	• Rhode Island State Constitution
Election Authority
	• Office of the Secretary of State - Resources for Candidates
	• Rhode Island Board of Elections
	• Rhode Island Board of Elections
Legislature
	• State of Rhode Island General Assembly
	• The State of Rhode Island House of Representatives
	• The State of Rhode Island Senate
Democratic
	• Democratic Party of Rhode Island
Republican
	• Rhode Island Republican Party
Third Party
	• Constitution Party of Rhode Island
	• Constitution Party of Rhode Island
	• Green Party of Rhode Island
	• Rhode Island Reform Party
	• Rhode Island Right to Life
Media & others
	• Barrington Times
	• Bristol Phoenix
	• COX.net
	• DC's Political Report - Rhode Island
	• East Bay Newspapers - Barrington - Bristol - Newport - Sakonnet - Warren - Westport
	• Inside Politics - Darrell West, Brown University, Providence
	• Politics1.com - Rhode Island
	• Progressive Rhode Island
	• The Pawtucket Times
	• The Providence Journal
	• Warren Times Gazette
	• Warwick Beacon
	• WJAR TV - NBC - Providence
	• WLNE TV - ABC - Providence
	• Woonsocket Call
	• WPRI TV - FOX - East Providence