AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Rhode Island on Election Day

By RICHARD LARDNER The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump will compete for Rhode Island’s four electoral votes in the Nov. 5 general election. Rhode Island voters will also cast ballots for Congress, the state Legislature, several ballot measures and mayoral races.

Democratic President Joe Biden carried the state in 2020 with 59% of the vote.

Also on the ballot are several independent and third-party candidates, including Green Party nominee Jill Stein and Robert F. Kennedy, who dropped out of the race in August and endorsed Trump. Rhode Island has been reliably Democratic in presidential contests for most of the last 64 years. Richard Nixon in 1972 and Ronald Reagan in 1984 were the only Republican presidential candidates to win there since 1960.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse faces a challenge from Republican Patricia Morgan in his bid for a fourth term. Whitehouse was reelected in 2018 with 61% of the vote. Republicans are also trying to oust Democrats who hold both of Rhode Island’s U.S. House seats. The last Republican to hold a U.S. Senate or House seat in Rhode Island was Lincoln Chaffee, who lost to Whitehouse in 2006 but won the governorship four years later as an independent.

Further down the ballot, voters will decide if Rhode Island should hold a constitutional convention to consider amendments and revisions to the state’s governing document.

Polls close in Rhode Island at 8 p.m. Absentee ballots can begin to be processed 20 days before the general election. In 2022, close to 30% of Rhode Island’s votes were advance ballots. Votes cast on Election Day are reported first, and mail and early-in-person votes are reported later in the night. More than 98% of the vote was counted on election night two years ago.

In races where 100,000 votes or more are cast, a trailing candidate in Rhode Island may request a recount if the margin is half a percentage point or 1,500 votes, whichever is less.

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it has determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

Here’s a look at what to expect in the 2024 election in Rhode Island:

Election Day

Nov. 5.

Poll closing time

8 p.m. ET.

Presidential electoral votes

4 awarded to statewide winner.

Key races and candidates

President: Harris (D) vs. Trump (R) vs. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (independent) vs. Chase Oliver (Libertarian) vs. Jill Stein (Green) and two others.

U.S. Senate: Whitehouse (D) vs. Morgan (R).

Other races of interest

U.S. House, state Senate, state House, mayors and ballot measures.

Past presidential results

2020: Biden (D) 59%, Trump (R) 39%, AP race call: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, 8 p.m. ET.

Voter registration and turnout

Registered voters: 789,035 (as of Oct. 2024). About 38% Democrats, 14% Republicans and 48% independent.

Voter turnout in 2020 presidential election: 66% of registered voters.

Pre-Election Day voting

Votes cast before Election Day 2020: about 61% of the total vote.

Votes cast before Election Day 2022: about 29% of the total vote.

Votes cast before Election Day 2024: See AP Advance Vote tracker.

How long does vote-counting take?

First votes reported, Nov. 3, 2020: 8:11 p.m. ET.

By midnight ET: about 52% of total votes cast were reported.

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Associated Press writer Maya Sweedler contributed to this report.

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Read more about how U.S. elections work at Explaining Election 2024, a series from The Associated Press aimed at helping make sense of the American democracy. The AP receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.