Better Elections Rhode Island

Better Elections Rhode Island has also participated in left-of-center activism at the national level, opposing the proposed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. ²

Activities

Better Elections Rhode Island is a campaign to introduce ranked choice voting (RCV) to the state of Rhode Island. In RCV, voters rank candidates in order of preference from first preference to last preference, with the lowest-placed candidate being eliminated in rounds of tabulation and that candidate’s supporters’ votes being reallocated according to the next ordered preference. ¹

Better Elections Rhode Island argues that the ranked choice voting system would reduce “wasted votes” and remove “toxicity” from politics by fostering a “greater diversity of candidates.” It also claimed it would lead to more people campaigning on independent tickets without fear of “split[ting] the vote with other candidates of the same gender, race, or ethnicity.” ¹

Better Elections Rhode Island promotes ranked choice voting for both the state’s Democratic and Republican primary elections. ³ It claims ranked choice voting would ensure candidates represent a share of a “wider swath” of their parties. ⁴

In 2024, Better Elections Rhode Island collaborated with Roger Williams University’s Department of Politics and International Relations to hold a mock election using the ranked choice voting system. The exercise was meant to demonstrate the benefits of the system and to persuade students and faculty to support the movement. ^{5 6 7 8}

In 2025, Better Elections Rhode Island promoted the Rhode Island state legislature considering the adoption of the ranked choice voting system. It encouraged supporters to sign up to volunteer and advocate that state lawmakers approve of the system. ^{1 9}

In March 2025, Better Elections Rhode Island sent a letter to the House Committee on State Government and Elections in Rhode Island’s state legislature urging them to adopt H5276, a bill that would introduce ranked choice voting into Rhode Island’s presidential primary elections. It argued that the proposal would “make a crucial difference in strengthening our democracy.” ¹⁰

In May 2025, Better Elections Rhode Island signed onto a petition organized by Common Cause’s Rhode Island chapter urging U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to oppose the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. According to the summary provided by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the SAVE Act “prohibits states from accepting and processing an application to register to vote in a federal election unless the applicant presents documentary proof of U.S. citizenship” and outlines which documentation is acceptable, including identification compliant with the REAL ID Act of 2005. One of the petition’s organizers claimed the SAVE Act would “disenfranchise thousands of Rhode Island citizens” by introducing registration obstacles. ^{2 11}

Partners

As of 2025, Better Elections Rhode Island’s website lists several partner organizations including Common Cause Rhode Island, National Education Association Rhode Island (NEARI), Real Access Motivates Progress (RAMP), League of Women Voters of Rhode Island, Ocean State RCV, Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition, and Young Democrats of Rhode Island (YDRI). ¹

Leadership

Better Elections Rhode Island’s March 2025 letter to the Rhode Island state legislature was signed by Nicole O’Loughlin, the managing director of the Hope Strategies consulting firm. She had previously worked as the executive director of the Rhode Island State Council of the SEIU and as an organizer for the Healthcare Education Project. ^{10 12}