PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Jan. 31, 2008) -- This Friday at 5 p.m. in the State Room at the State House, Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis will use a borrowed lottery machine to determine the order in which the Democrat and Republican presidential candidates will appear on the ballot in the state’s March 4 primary. The public is invited.
In a scene familiar to Rhode Islanders who watch the state’s daily lottery numbers selected on television, candidates will be assigned specially calibrated, white plastic balls. A representative from the R.I. Lottery will operate the machine. After each ball floats to the top of the machine, Mollis will announce the name of the candidate.
On the Democratic side, the candidates are Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Hugh Cort, Mike Huckabee, Alan Keyes, John McCain, Ron Paul and Mitt Romney are expected to compete for position on the Republican ballot.
The Secretary of State’s office will also use the lottery machine to determine ballot position for the 184 Rhode Islanders who are competing for the right to attend the Democratic or Republican National Convention as a delegate.
Among the prominent names in the hunt are Governor Carcieri, former Lt. Gov. Charlie Fogarty, House Minority Leader Robert Watson, former Providence Mayor Joe Paolino and former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Myrth York.