In a media release issued this morning, a local election integrity group, Rhode Island Fair Elections & Education, called on the RI Board of Elections to remove Democrat candidate for Congress District 1 Sabina Matos from this September’s primary ballot in accordance with the law. 

In the release, the fair elections group claims that with “regard to the demonstrated illegitimacy of signatures collected by Sabina Matos, Democrat candidate for Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District, the RI Board of Elections had the opportunity on July 21,2023 to follow the law outlined in Title 17-23-17 which addresses violations with respect to elections.    

Unfortunately for the citizens and voters of Rhode Island, it has so far failed to do so, circumventing law and undermining confidence in Ocean State elections.   

As relevant per this statute, the Board of Elections ‘§ 17-23-17: Violations with respect to elections:  

(a) Any person is guilty of a felony who:  

(b) Any person who unlawfully and knowingly signs the name of any other person on any nomination papers shall be guilty of a felony.  

(c) Any public officer or officer of a political party who willfully violates any of the provisions of chapters 12 — 15 of this title, or refuses or willfully neglects and omits to perform, in the manner and within the time prescribed, any duty imposed upon the officer by these chapters, or suffers or permits any alteration, erasure, or additional check to be made upon a voting list in the officer’s custody or control, shall be guilty of a felony.  

“Rhode Island Fair Elections Coalition is calling upon the Rhode Island Board of Elections to fulfill its public duty and follow the law as outlined in title 17-23-17″, stated Sara Vieira, founder of Rhode Island Fair Elections and Education Coalition, a non-partisan and grass roots group dedicated to ensuring fair and honest elections in Rhode Island.  

 

The Providence Journal on July 21, 2023 reported that 93% of Sabina Matos signatures were removed as fraudulent ,  yet Sabina Matos is still on the primary ballot even with an ongoing investigation through the RI Attorney General’s office. She also appears to have violated the law as outlined in Rhode Island state statutes under election law, Title 17.    

 Sabina and her team used names provided to them through the Secretary of State’s office from the voter roll database or ERIC (Electronic Registration Information Center) .  From the state database, the names included people who have died, people who do not reside in District 1 any longer or moved out of state and people who are not registered to vote .  Next, Sabina and her team proceeded to sign for these people and acknowledged to the local boards that these signatures and people are verified as participants in the voting process .  The RI BOE said during the board meeting held last Friday, July 21, 2023, that the ballots were already printed for overseas voting, so the board needed to keep Matos on the ballot .   

Among other irregularities, the ballots were printed in advance of the final meeting on July 21 which discussed other candidates’ issues with signature verification.   Why was Sabina Matos’ name on the ballot but not the other candidates? Why does RI have archaic printing contracts that ballots cannot be printed and sent after all names were discussed on Friday?   

“Time and time again over the last few months, Rhode Island continues to have legislators and lawmakers who are given a free pass following the law,” said Vieira. “This situation with Sabina Matos is no different than Senator Miller.  There appears to be a two-tiered justice system playing out in Rhode Island where elected officials who do not follow the law are not kept to the same standard as constituents.”   

The RI Board of Elections failed RI last week when the board decided to let someone continue to be on the ballot for a primary election .  The RI Board of Elections failed to follow through with the law.  The RI Board of Elections needs to be held accountable.    

“We encourage all concerned citizens to join us and demand that the RI Board of Elections act now to follow the law in title 17-23-17 ,” Vieira concludes.  “Call or email the BOE today to request action. Voter protection measures are vital to fair and honest elections. While we must make it easy for all citizens to vote, we must make it impossible to cheat.””