Mike Stenhouse, RI Center for Freedom and Prosperity
Mike Stenhouse with the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity blasted "unelected bureaucrats" at the Rhode Island Board of Elections (BOE), after the BOE board on Monday directed its lawyer to propose fixes to the loophole created in 2008, which no longer required proper identification for those registering, in person, to vote, as required by 2003 federal law.
"Despite baseless attacks against Ken Block, it turns out that his research was accurate," said Stenhouse, CEO of the Center. "Now that we know a federal law was effectively bypassed in 2008, justice is demanded by holding accountable those people responsible. It is now more obvious than ever that formal inquiries need to be launched.
Stenhouse and the Center have called for the immediate removal of any BOE official that was involved with that unlawful 2008 decision.
The Center is taking the position that current BOE attorney, Raymond Marcaccio (BOE legal council in 2008), current BOE commissioner, Richard Pierce (BOE commissioner in 2008), and current BOE Executive Director, Robert Rapoza (BOE director of elections in 2008) have "demonstrated incompetence in allowing Rhode Island's voter registration process to fail to comply with federal law ... and therefore should no longer maintain their positions of responsibility."
The Center also calls on current BOE commissioner Steve Erickson to be removed, "given his publicly stated reluctance to bringing the RI BOE into compliance with federal law."
Related Slideshow: GoLocal: Benchmark Poll, October 2017
When it comes to voting, do you consider yourself to be affiliated with the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, Moderate, or Unaffiliated with a major party?
Next year, in November of 2018, there will be a statewide general election for Governor and many other state offices. How likely is it that you will vote in this election?
Will you definitely be voting, will you probably be voting, are you 50-50...
Recently, a proposal has been made to permit the issuance of $81 million in bonds by the State to build a new stadium for the Pawtucket Red Sox. If there was an election today on this issue, would you vote to approve or reject issuing $81 million in financing supported moral obligation bonds to build the stadium?
The next question is about the total income of YOUR HOUSEHOLD for the PAST 12 MONTHS. Please include your income PLUS the income of all members living in your household (including cohabiting partners and armed forces members living at home).
What particular ethnic group or nationality - such as English, French, Italian, Irish, Latino, Jewish, African American, and so forth - do you consider yourself a part of or feel closest to?