Rhode Island’s lackluster presidential contest fizzled to a close Tuesday, with President Joe Biden and Donald Trump declared winners by the Associated Press 10 minutes after polls closed.
Both Biden and Trump have already clinched their party nominations unofficially based on delegate counts from prior states primaries and conventions. The nominations will be made official at national party conventions this summer.
Federal and State Nursing Home Staffing Mandates
Staffing has always been an ongoing challenge in the long-term care industry. However, since the…
Learn More
Results published by the Rhode Island Board of Elections remain preliminary and unofficial, with mail ballots still being counted Tuesday night. As of 9:30 p.m. with 98% of precincts reporting, the 38,000 votes cast represented just over 5% of the state’s registered voters. That is less than one-third of the turnout that characterized the 2020 presidential primary, and one-fifth the participation in the 2016 primary race.
Biden drew support from more than 80% of voters, while just shy of 15% voted “uncommitted” on the Democratic ballot, according to preliminary unofficial results. The symbolic protest vote gained traction in states nationwide as a means of protesting Biden, including among pro-Palestine supporters who have criticized Biden’s decision to send aid to Israel in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In Rhode Island, Aaron Regunburg, who competed in the 2023 Democratic special primary for the 1st Congressional District, along with Sen. Sam Bell and Providence City Councilman Miguel Sanchez also said they voted “uncommitted,” according to social media posts.
Other high-ranking state and federal officials, including U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo, Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos and General Treasurer James Diossa shared public support for Biden on X.
Meanwhile, Trump led with 84% of the vote as of 9:30 p.m. followed by Nikki Haley, who dropped out of the race after ballots were finalized. Haley hovered just above 10% support among those who voted on the state’s Republican ballot, a critical threshold because under state party rules, any candidate who wins at least 10% of votes will be awarded delegates.
While the winners of the presidential nominating contests were already decided prior to the state’s primary, Rhode Islanders still got to have their say over who they send to the party national conventions this summer.
Some voters who cast ballots for presidential nominee opted not to make picks in any or all of the delegates.
That included Anne Shaw, a Newport voter who headed to her polling place at Donovan Manor around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Shaw said she didn’t recognize enough delegate candidates to pick the maximum seven allotted on the Democratic ballot.
“I only voted for a few,” she said as she left the polling site.
Rhode Island will send 26 delegates to the Democratic National Convention in August, 14 of which are selected by voters with the others reserved for party chairs, members of the congressional delegation and the governor. The Republican GOP sends 19 delegates to the Republican National Convention in July, 16 of whom are chosen based on votes.
Top vote-getters among the Democratic delegate hopefuls included Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, Sen. Sandra Cano of Pawtucket, and Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera. While votes play a part in which delegate candidates are selected, the Rhode Island Democratic Party has the final say based on other factors including equal distribution of men and women and representation from women and minority groups. Party members will finalize the pledged delegates at the state party convention in June.
On the Republican side, top vote-getters among the 53 delegate candidates included Trump-pledged delegates Paul Durfee, Thomas M. Carroll and Gregory Rice, according to preliminary results.
Despite the lack of attention and participation in the primary, the race still cost $190,000 to organize and advertise, said Faith Chybowski, a spokesperson for the Rhode Island Secretary of State. The cost only includes expenses through the R.I. Department of State; there are separate costs for each local board of canvassers as well as the Rhode Island Board of Elections.
Doug Allen, moderator for the polls at Myron J. Francis Elementary School in East Providence, said turnout appeared even slower than the 2020 presidential primary, in which a majority of voters cast votes by mail due to the pandemic.
The 2020 presidential primary saw 17.1% turnout among Rhode Island registered voters, with 83% of ballots cast by mail. In the 2016 presidential primary, turnout was 25%.
As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, 66 ballots had been cast at the Rumford polling place, Allen said. The parking lots were empty, save for teachers attending a professional development training. Even the smallest noises echoed inside the cavernous gymnasium where voting took place.
Results must be certified by the Rhode Island Board of Elections before they are considered final, a process expected to be finished by April 11, according to Chris Hunter, board spokesperson.
The general election will be held on Nov. 5.
Nancy Lavin is a staff writer for the Rhode Island Current. Editor-in-chief Janine L. Weisman contributed to this story.
