Raimondo greenlights postponing R.I. primary

OPENING FOR HACKERS? The R.I. Board of Elections is studying whether modems added to voting machines in 2016 now represent a cybersecurity risk because they transmit encrypted data over the internet. / PBN PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI
GOV. GINA M. Raimondo announced in a tweet Monday that she will sign an executive order postponing the state's primary to June 2 and switching to primarily by-mail ballots. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI

PROVIDENCE – Gov. Gina M. Raimondo announced in a tweet on Monday that she will sign an executive order postponing the state’s presidential primary until June 2 with a shift to primarily by-mail ballots.

The decision follows a recommendation made by the R.I. Board of Elections last week. The board voted 6-1 in favor of postponing the state primary after several hours of discussion and testimony from state and local government officials, many of whom expressed concern with security and ability of a limited staff to process mail ballots in time for an April 28 election.

R.I. Secretary of State of Nellie Gorbea, who previously urged the state not to delay the primary, in a statement on Monday pledged to work with state and local election officials to carry out a successful primary on June 2. Her office will also send registered voters the requisite mail-ballot application with a postage-paid return envelope in the coming weeks, the release stated.

Rhode Island joins seven other states in postponing its primary: Indiana, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland and Ohio.

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Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.

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