October 16, 2024
ELECTION NOTICE - CITY OF CRANSTON
LOCAL REFERENDUM QUESTIONS
A referendum is the way our legislative bodies (the General Assembly or City Council) ask voters to approve or reject proposals such as constitutional amendments, home rule charter amendments, long-term borrowings (bonds), and special laws affecting the City.
A referendum is always asked as a question to voters. There are five statewide questions, and two local Cranston questions, that will appear on the Cranston ballot for the November 5, 2024 General Election. The questions will begin with the five state questions, followed by the two local questions, which will all appear on the backside of the ballot. Voter information regarding Cranston’s local referenda is included in this notice.
Approve: For local charter questions, your vote to “Approve” means that you support changing the Home Rule Charter of the City of Cranston to add and/or delete the specific language listed in the referenced chapter. If a majority of Cranston voters voting in the election vote to approve a question, that question will be certified by the Cranston Board of Canvassers as having passed. In the case of charter questions, the Home Rule Charter will be amended.
Reject: For local charter questions, your vote to “Reject” means that you are opposed to changing the Home Rule Charter of the City of Cranston to add and/or delete the specific language listed in the referenced chapter. If a majority of Cranston voters voting in the election vote to reject a question, that question will be certified by the Cranston Board of Canvassers as having been rejected. In the case of charter questions, the Home Rule Charter of the City of Cranston will not be altered.
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QUESTIONS 6-7 AMENDMENTS TO CRANSTON HOME RULE CHARTER
Local Question 6
6. PROBATE JUDGE RESIDENCY
(Resolution of the City Council No. 2024-5 adopted February 26, 2024)
Shall an amendment to the following portion of Section 4.02 of the Home Rule Charter of the City of Cranston, to clarify the residency requirement for the probate judge, be approved?
Sec. 4.02 - Judge of probate.
The probate judge shall be a qualified elector of the City of Cranston State of Rhode Island, an attorney at law admitted to practice in the courts of Rhode Island, and shall at the time of the probate judge’s appointment have so practiced for five years.
Voters will have the option to Approve or Reject this question.
Explanation: This change to the City of Cranston Home Rule Charter, if enacted by voters, would allow for any qualified Rhode Island elector to be appointed to the office of Judge of Probate, and would align the city with R.I. Gen. Laws § 45-2-15.2: “Municipal employees — Residency within municipality not required,” which already provides that appointed municipal employees do not need to reside in the city or town they work for. The change would bring the Cranston City Charter into better compliance with state law and ensure a larger pool of qualified electors may be considered by the City Council for appointment to the Probate Judge position.
Local Question 7
7. CITY SOLICITOR RESIDENCY
(Resolution of the City Council No. 2024-6 adopted February 26, 2024)
Shall an amendment to the following portion of Section 8.01 of the Home Rule Charter of the City of Cranston, to clarify the residency requirement for the city solicitor, be approved?
Sec. 8.01 - Department of law.
The city solicitor shall be a qualified elector of the city of Cranston State of Rhode Island, an attorney at law admitted to practice in the courts of Rhode Island, and shall at the time of the city solicitor’s appointment have so practiced for five years. The city solicitor shall appoint to serve at the city solicitor’s pleasure the assistant city solicitors who shall be electors of the city of Cranston State of Rhode Island and attorneys at law admitted to practice in the courts of Rhode Island.
Voters will have the option to Approve or Reject this question.
Explanation: This change to the City of Cranston Home Rule Charter, if enacted by voters, would allow for any qualified Rhode Island elector to be appointed to the office of City Solicitor and to the offices of Assistant City Solicitor, and would align the city with R.I. Gen. Laws § 45-2-15.2: “Municipal employees — Residency within municipality not required,” which already provides that appointed municipal employees do not need to reside in the city or town they work for. The change would bring the Cranston City Charter into better compliance with state law and ensure a larger pool of qualified electors may be considered by the Mayor for appointment as Solicitor and by the Solicitor for appointment as Assistant Solicitor(s).
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Important Voter Information
Polling locations can be identified and sample ballots viewed online at vote.ri.gov. Polling locations will be open on Tuesday, November 5 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and you may only vote at your assigned polling location if voting in-person on Election Day.
Voters who wish to vote early at the Peter. T. Pastore, Jr. Youth Center, 155 Gansett Ave, may do so weekdays from October 16 through November 4, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., ending at 4 p.m. on Monday, November 4. Early voting will additionally be open at the Pastore Youth Center on Saturday, November 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
If you applied for a mail ballot, you must return your voted ballot in its signed and sealed envelope to the Rhode Island Board of Elections, or to an official ballot drop box, no later than 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5. In Cranston, 24-hour drop boxes are located at Cranston City Hall, 869 Park Ave (side of the building next to Cranston East), and the Rhode Island Board of Elections, 2000 Plainfield Pike (parking lot at the Sailor Way entrance). On November 5, every polling location will have a mail ballot receptacle to return voted mail ballots in sealed envelopes. Any mail ballot can be returned to any official drop box, statewide, in its sealed envelope by 8 p.m. on November 5.
You must be registered to vote from your actual place of residence. Voter fraud is a felony and the penalty for voter fraud is imprisonment for a term of not more than ten (10) years, or a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or both, for each offense. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-26-1)
Canvassing Authority office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Room 100, Cranston City Hall, 869 Park Ave., Cranston, RI 02910-2786 – Phone: 401-780-3121 – Email: canvassing@cranstonri.gov – Website: www.cranstonri.gov – Check your voter registration and election information online at vote.ri.gov – This ad is posted and published in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-8-10 by the Cranston Board of Canvassers: Kirk McDonough, Chairperson; Quilcia I. Moronta and Steven E. Piscopiello, Members.