News and Events
Secretary Gorbea Reminds Candidates of Next Week's Declaration of Candidacy Filing Period
PROVIDENCE, RI – Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea is reminding candidates seeking elected office in the State of Rhode Island that they must file a Declaration of Candidacy form during next week's Declaration of Candidacy filing period in order to appear on this year's ballot. Candidates may...
Secretary Gorbea Awards Over $540,000 to Local Communities for Election Security
PROVIDENCE, RI – Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea today announced the allocation of grant money to 18 Rhode Island cities and towns to strengthen the cybersecurity of voting systems and improve election processes. These grants total $544,653 and are awarded as part of Rhode Island's share of $3...
Secretary Gorbea Awards Over $236,000 to West Bay Communities to Boost Cybersecurity
PROVIDENCE, RI – Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea today announced $236,701 in grant funding for Cranston, Warwick, and West Warwick to strengthen the cybersecurity of voting systems and improve election processes. These grants are awarded as part of Rhode Island's share of $3 million from Congress...
Secretary Gorbea Announces Expanded Educator Resources for Black History Month
PROVIDENCE, RI – To help commemorate Black History Month, Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea is offering expanded resources from the State Archives to help educators and students explore how activism in Rhode Island has shaped our history and influenced national discussions.
Available now on...
Secretary Gorbea Hires Johnathan Berard as Deputy Director of Communications and Strategy
PROVIDENCE, RI - Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea today announced the appointment of Johnathan Berard as Deputy Director of Communications and Strategy. Beginning February 21, Berard will be responsible for media relations for all divisions in the Secretary of State's Office and will assist in...
Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea Statement on Let RI Vote Act
Today Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea released the following statement regarding the Let RI Vote Act press conference held by the Rhode Island Voting Access Coalition (RIVAC):
"In 2020, over 520,000 Rhode Islanders safely and securely voted either from home with a mail ballot, early in-...
Secretary Nellie M. Gorbea Provides Open Government Reminders and Updates
PROVIDENCE, RI – With a new calendar year and legislative session underway, Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea is continuing her commitment to transparency and accountability by providing the following reminders and updates for open government processes in Rhode Island.
OPEN MEETINGS...
Secretary Nellie M. Gorbea Highlights #TrustedInfo2022 Voter Education Effort
PROVIDENCE, RI – Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea is joining fellow members of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) in the #TrustedInfo2022 voter education effort. The campaign encourages citizens to make state and local election officials...
Secretary Gorbea Statement on Voting Rights Bills in US Senate
Today Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea released the following statement regarding the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, both of which are pending in the United States Senate:
"Today's statements by President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris...
Secretary Gorbea Launches New Open Government Center
PROVIDENCE, RI – Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea today announced the launch of an online suite of tools aimed at improving the transparency and accessibility of public data and government information. The new Open Government Center at sos.ri.gov includes additional resources to help facilitate...
Gorbea Launches New Redistricting Tool to Easily Compare Current and Proposed Rhode Island Legislative Districts
PROVIDENCE, RI – Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea is proud to bring new transparency to the redistricting process by launching a state legislative district comparison tool that makes it easy for Rhode Islanders to see current and proposed district boundaries side-by-side, including demographic...
Secretary Gorbea Updates Ongoing Voter Roll Maintenance, Announces Latest Efforts
PROVIDENCE, RI – Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea is providing the following update on the continuous work of her Elections Division to maintain accurate voter rolls and ensure that Rhode Islanders can trust the integrity of our state's elections. Rhode Island currently has 713,481 active...
Secretary Gorbea Hires Lammis J. Vargas as Deputy Secretary of State/Director of Administration
PROVIDENCE, RI - Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea today announced the appointment of Lammis J. Vargas as Deputy Secretary of State/Director of Administration. Vargas will be responsible for leading the Department of State's administrative functions including the divisions of Business Services,...
Gorbea Delivers New Transparency to Redistricting with Census Data Block Explorer
PROVIDENCE, RI – Rhode Island's once-a-decade redistricting process is underway, and Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea is launching a new resource that brings added transparency to a process that greatly affects voter participation in Rhode Island.
Secretary Gorbea's interactive Census Data...
Defending Democracy: Secretary Gorbea Gathers 150 Election Officials, IT Experts, Law Enforcement for Cybersecurity Summit
PROVIDENCE, RI – Today Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea convened 150 elections and IT officials for Rhode Island's 2021 Cybersecurity Summit. The three-hour virtual forum gave elections officials from every Rhode Island community an opportunity to interact with national and statewide...
Secretary Gorbea Convenes First Meeting of RI 250th Commission
EAST GREENWICH, RI – Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea convened the inaugural meeting of the Rhode Island Semiquincentennial (RI 250th) Commission yesterday at the Varnum Memorial Armory in East Greenwich. The goals of the RI 250th Commission are to promote Rhode Island's unique role in the...
National Voter Registration Day is Tuesday 9/28
Secretary Gorbea to Rhode Islanders:
Check Your Voter Record on National Voter Registration Day
PROVIDENCE, RI – Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea is reminding Rhode Islanders that Tuesday, September 28, is National Voter Registration Day. Held on the fourth Tuesday of September, National...
Secretary Gorbea Launches RI Census Data Explorer
PROVIDENCE, RI – With the recent release of redistricting data from the 2020 U.S. Census, Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea has launched the Rhode Island Census Data Explorer. This interactive online resource allows users to explore more than two centuries of Rhode Island census data down to the...
Secretary Gorbea Launches RI Census Data Explorer
PROVIDENCE, RI – With the recent release of redistricting data from the 2020 U.S. Census, Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea has launched the Rhode Island Census Data Explorer. This interactive online resource allows users to explore more than two centuries of Rhode Island census data down to the...
Two Special Elections Scheduled in Central Falls
PROVIDENCE, RI – Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea is providing the following schedule for two upcoming special elections in Central Falls. The first is a special election to fill a seat on the City Council in Ward 3. The second is a special bond referendum election that would authorize up to $5,...
Dates Set for RI Senate District 3 Special Election
PROVIDENCE, RI – Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea is providing the following schedule for an upcoming special election in Rhode Island Senate District 3 to fill former Senator Gayle Goldin's vacant seat. Senator Goldin resigned Tuesday to accept a position in the Biden-Harris administration....
Secretary Gorbea Announces Updated COVID-19 Protocols
PROVIDENCE, RI – With an increased rate of COVID-19 cases in Rhode Island, Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea is announcing several updates to Department of State protocols to ensure the continued safety of staff and the public.
Rhode Island's rate of community transmission is currently "high"...
Secretary Gorbea Statement on President Biden's Voting Rights Speech
"Today I echo the words of President Biden: "The power must always be with the people." Throughout my career I have worked to increase civic participation. As Rhode Island Secretary of State, I have enacted reforms and modernized elections to improve access to the ballot box for every eligible...
Secretary Gorbea Statement on U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Voting Restrictions
"Your constitutional right to vote should never be affected by your zip code or the color of your skin. Today, the United States Supreme Court issued a deeply disappointing decision that weakens Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. This decision makes it increasingly difficult to legally challenge...
Secretary Gorbea Honors Local Civic Leaders at State House
PROVIDENCE, RI – Today Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea honored six Rhode Islanders with the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) Medallion Award in a ceremony at the Rhode Island State House. The NASS Medallion Award is given annually by Secretaries of State to recognize...
News Contact:
Johnathan Berard
Deputy Communications Director
401-330-3189
Email: [email protected]