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Democracy in Action

Posted on: November 7, 2022 - 10:44am
person voting

With recognition of the increasing attention to
election integrity,the Foster Board of Canvassers
offers information, transparency, and accessibility
to assure confidence in our local elections. 

First, elections are conducted in accordance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations.  In Rhode Island, the Board of Elections oversees the operations of elections (equipment, logistics, training of poll workers, tallying and reporting results) while the office of the Secretary of State oversees matters involving candidates, campaign finances, and the printing of ballots.  The local Boards of Canvassers maintain the voter records (registration, party affiliations) and the local logistics of elections (poll locations, poll workers, mail ballot requests and emergency ballots).  In conjunction, these agencies assure the integrity of our local voting processes.

Next, security of elections is assured by a system of hardware, software, and specific procedures. For example, computers in Town Hall are dedicated to the election process in accordance with Homeland Security procedures.  Those entering into the system use a dedicated, person-specific UBKey which enables all entries to be traced to whomever made the entry  Further, mail ballot boxes are locked and monitored by cameras 24 hours/day. Voting is conducted securely at nursing homes by bipartisan teams who make specific appointments with social workers/administrators for anyone who has requested a mail ballot.  

If you have questions that cannot be answered by the online resources available at:  Voter information section of the Secretary of State’s Office website (https://vote.sos.ri.gov/) or the Board of Elections website (https://elections.ri.gov/) or RI General Laws Title 17, Elections (http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/Statutes/TITLE17/INDEX.HTM), please reach out to Town Clerk Susan Dillon or the Board of Canvassers.

Respectfully submitted by your current Board of Canvasser members in Foster,  
Chair Robert DePalo (R), Bruce Kopec (R), and Mary Jo Chretien, Clerk  (D).