Canvassing Directory

Visit Canvassing Authority Page

Cranston Board of Canvassers

The Cranston Board of Canvassers conducts elections for the City of Cranston and maintains and stores the official list of 60,000 registered Cranston voters. The Board's office serves as an election resource center, providing residents with voter registration forms, local candidate declaration forms, mail ballot applications, election information, sample ballots, maps, and verification of residence. City residents wishing to register to vote or update their registration information can do so by submitting a voter registration form in person, by mail, or online by visiting vote.ri.gov.

The Canvassing Authority is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. in Room 100 at Cranston City Hall.

Nick Lima
Registrar / Director of Elections
Term Expires: January 6, 2025

Mailing Address:

CRANSTON BOARD OF CANVASSERS
CITY HALL
869 PARK AVE
CRANSTON, RI 02910-2786

*Election and Voter Registration Information: 401-780-3121

En español: 401-780-3122

Poll Workers, Mail Ballots, and General Voting Questions:
401-780-3126
401-780-3127
401-780-3128

FAX: 401-780-3125

Email: canvassing@cranstonri.gov

R.I. Board of Elections: 401-222-2345

R.I. Secretary of State: 401-222-2340

About the Cranston Board of Canvassers

The Cranston Board of Canvassers is appointed by the City Council upon nomination by the Mayor from lists of eligible party voters submitted by the party chairpersons in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-8-1. The Registrar / Director of Elections and all full-time Canvassing Authority clerical and technical staff are appointed by the Board of Canvassers and confirmed by the City Council in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-8-5. The Registrar is the Director and department head for the Canvassing Authority, reporting to the Board of Canvassers, and serves a term of two years, expiring on the first Monday in January in odd years, and serving until their successor is appointed.

The fixed term of Board Members and Alternates is six years, expiring on the first Monday in March in odd years, with each Board Member staggered to expire every two years. All appointees serve until their successor is appointed. Board Alternates may vote at the request of a Board Member of the same political party, and may temporarily act as a Board Member in the event a seat is vacated of the same political party, until a new Board Member is appointed. The Board is bipartisan by law, and can have no more than two Members from the same political party at any time, and Board Members and Alternates must maintain affiliation with the party that appointed them, and cannot be federal, state, or City of Cranston employees, and cannot become a candidate for public office while serving on the Board.

The Board is overseen directly by the state Board of Elections and must adhere to federal, state, and local laws related to elections, and follow the rules and regulations, orders, and directives promulgated by the state Board and the Rhode Island Secretary of State. Funding for election operations is provided by the City of Cranston via the Mayor's annual budget submission to the City Council, and the Board receives support from numerous city departments and agencies in the conduct of elections.

An asterisk (*) indicates that the person is the main contact for the department. If you cannot find the exact department/person you are looking for, the main City Hall telephone number is (401) 461-1000.