PROVIDENCE, RI – Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis is reminding Rhode Islanders thinking of running for office this year that they must file official declarations of candidacy by June 30 in order to be eligible to appear on the ballot.
Candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and other statewide offices such as attorney general must file the declarations with Mollis' office. Anyone planning to run for General Assembly or local office must file with the board of canvassers in the city or town that is their legal residence.
By state law, candidates must file by Wednesday at 4 p.m. Mollis will track the submission of declarations and post daily re-caps of who is officially in and who is still out on his website at sos.ri.gov/candidates.
"Two years ago we had record-breaking elections that saw more Rhode Islanders register to vote and turn out than ever before. We are prepared for 2010 to be just as remarkable," said Mollis.
The next important milestone is July 7 through July 16, when candidates must collect the signatures of enough eligible voters to officially put them on the ballot. The threshold ranges from 50 signatures for the state House of Representatives to 500 for the U.S. House of Representatives and most statewide offices to 1,000 signatures for governor.
Rhode Islanders have until Aug. 14 to register to vote in order to cast ballots in the Sept. 14 state primary. Oct. 2 is the deadline for registering to vote in the general election Nov. 2.
Every key deadline in the 2010 election calendar is included in a 26-page guidebook Mollis created to assist candidates and voters with understanding Rhode Island election law.
The guide even outlines campaign finance requirements – including the Aug. 2 deadline for candidates for state and local office to submit their second-quarter financial disclosure reports – and lists contact information for election officials in every city and town.
Secretary of State Mollis is committed to making it easier for Rhode Islanders to vote, helping businesses grow and making government more open and accessible. For more information about the 2010 election calendar, visit sos.ri.gov.
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