Rhode Island Dismissed a Ballot Challenge Without Settling the Underlying Rule
Rhode Island’s Board of Elections unanimously rejected independent gubernatorial candidate Ken Block’s attempt to remove fellow independent Jay Gotra from the November 2026 ballot. The board threw out the challenge because Block failed to complete the required objection form, not because the underlying question was resolved. That question remains open: are voters required to hand-write their own names and addresses on candidate nomination papers, or can campaign workers pre-fill that information while voters only sign?
Block’s attorney, John Pagliarini, told the board on July 21, 2026, that handwriting on Gotra’s nomination papers appeared uniform across voter entries, suggesting one person may have filled in all the names and addresses before voters signed.
“When you look at the entire sheet, and it’s done in the same hand, it doesn’t give anybody confidence is all I’m saying. I am not saying any of these signatures are fraudulent. What I am saying is, it looks problematic.”
John Pagliarini, attorney for Ken Block’s gubernatorial campaign, Rhode Island Board of Elections hearing, July 21, 2026
Because the board dismissed on procedural grounds, it issued no ruling on whether pre-filling voter information is legal or prohibited. Any future candidate could face the same ambiguity without clearer guidance from the state.
Signature Fraud Has Hit Rhode Island in Three Straight Election Cycles
This dispute comes after a string of documented signature fraud cases in Rhode Island elections. In the 2023 special election for Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District, forged signatures, including names of dead people, appeared on Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos’ nomination papers. Two campaign workers were later sentenced to probation on criminal charges. Matos qualified for the ballot but finished fourth in the primary.
In 2024, forged signatures were flagged on nomination papers for Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and for the No Labels party. A Rhode Island state grand jury indicted four people in October 2024 on voter and signature fraud charges connected to No Labels’ out-of-state signature vendor.
Three consecutive election cycles with documented fraud, and the state still has no written rule clarifying what voters must fill out themselves.
Three Independents Are Now Set for the November Ballot
The board’s decision confirms that both Block and Gotra submitted enough valid voter signatures to qualify for the November 2026 gubernatorial ballot. A third independent, C.D. Reynolds, is also on the ballot. The procedural dismissal of Block’s challenge means no candidate was removed, but it also means Rhode Island enters another election cycle without a clear standard for nomination paper completion.
What You Can Do Now
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Contact the Rhode Island Board of Elections directly at (401) 222-2345 and ask the board to issue written guidance clarifying whether voters must hand-write their own names and addresses on nomination papers before the next filing deadline.
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Call your Rhode Island state representative or senator at the General Assembly at (401) 222-2000 and ask them to sponsor or support legislation that explicitly defines what information voters must personally complete on nomination papers.
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Submit a public comment to the Rhode Island Board of Elections at [email protected]. Ask the board to open a rulemaking process so the standard is enforceable before November 2026 signature deadlines for other offices.
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Check the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s voter registration portal at vote.sos.ri.gov to confirm your registration is accurate, since past fraud cases included names of deceased voters on petition sheets.
Sources
Rhode Island Current: Nomination Form Protocol Challenge Sparks Board of Elections Debate
Rhode Island Current: No Labels Signature Fraud Indictments in Rhode Island, October 2024
Rhode Island Board of Elections: Candidate Filing and Nomination Paper Requirements
Brennan Center for Justice: Signature Fraud and Ballot Access Laws Across the States