To the editor:

Despite the heat and fun summer activities, a Congressional special election is underway as a result of David Cicilline’s departure from the seat that he held since 2011 until June of this year. With the myriad issues facing the country, Rhode Island and Barrington, it’s critical that voters engage in selecting his replacement. Special elections have notoriously low voter turnout. We want to ensure folks are paying attention to the race and know the important dates ahead and get out to vote.

In light of the importance of voter engagement, the Barrington Democratic Town Committee is offering two opportunities for the community to hear from Democrats running for the CD1 seat. We’re hosting events on Thursday, July 27 and Monday, July 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Barrington Public Library.

As there are a good number of candidates in the race, we’re hosting the two events to accommodate as many of the Democratic candidates as possible. We’ll have info about the candidate line-ups on our FaceBook two days before each event.

It’s been rare to have an open seat for Rhode Island Congressional District 1, and we encourage you to get involved, to learn about the candidates, and to VOTE!!

Here are important dates to keep in mind for the Special Election:

● August 6: Voter registration deadline for the Primary Election

● August 15: Mail ballot application deadline for the Primary Election

● August 16: Early voting period for the Primary begins

● September 5: Special Primary Election Day

● October 8: Voter registration for the General Election

● October 17: Mail Ballot Application deadline for the General Election

● October 18: Early voting period begins for the General Election

● November 7: Special General Election Day

The Secretary of State’s website has additional info, including how to register to vote, request a mail ballot, and how to identify your polling place at https://vote.sos.ri.gov/

Please be sure to join us on July 27th and July 31st at 6pm at Barrington Public Library for the candidate events!

Nicole Jellinek

Barrington

Liana Cassar

Barrington

Liana Cassar is the chair and Nicole Jellinek is the vice chair of the Barrington Democratic Town Committee.