Statement by secretary of state Nellie m. Gorbea on alleged Voting Irregularities in Cranston

Cranston Mayor Allan Fung held a press conference where he described
alleged voter irregularities that took place in his city during the November
Election. The law is clear: only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote and you can only
vote once. Anyone who breaks the law should be held accountable and I expect these
allegations to be fully investigated.

I am committed to ensuring that elections are fair, fast and accurate in Rhode
Island. That is why, working closely with the State Board of Elections, I have
convened an Elections Task Force and brought together stakeholders to review the
past election, identify areas for improvement and present recommendations moving
forward. The Task Force had its first of three meetings earlier this week. I have
also submitted legislation to replace the existing emergency mail ballot process
with a significantly improved early in-person voting system (H5700). Furthermore, I
am requesting funding in this year’s budget to install Electronic Poll Books at all
polling locations for the next election. These electronic poll books will
significantly improve the accuracy of our lists and check-ins as Rhode Islanders
vote.

The next meeting of the Elections Task Force will take place on March 8 at Francis
J. Varieur School in Pawtucket. I encourage Mayor Fung or any other Rhode Islanders
to bring any concerns about and ideas for improving elections to our Task Force
meetings.

-Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea