Rhode Island Election Officials Participate in Training Exercises Ahead of 2026 Election Cycle

CRANSTON, RI – The RI Department of State and the RI Board of Elections jointly hosted an operational tabletop exercise (TTX) for local election officials and stakeholders on Friday, May 1, 2026.

Tabletop exercises enable participants to think through their proposed responses to realistic scenarios. Local election officials played roles such as polling place officials, city and town employees, Department of State and Board of Elections employees, members of the media, and voters. Participants were encouraged to work together to identify procedural steps to respond to simulated crises, including emergencies, technical malfunctions, security threats, election misinformation, and other situational challenges. Other partners participating in the tabletop exercise included the Rhode Island State Police, the Rhode Island National Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Disability Rights Rhode Island, the Governor's Commission on Disabilities, the Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions, as well as several election officials from Connecticut and Massachusetts.

"While we hope that we would never face these worst-case scenarios, we know that preparedness is key. Tabletop exercises like this empower election officials to think critically about challenges, brainstorm solutions, and prepare to navigate multiple scenarios at once," said Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore. "I'm appreciative of the hard work of our Elections Division at the RI Department of State, the RI Board of Elections, and the local election officials who took part in this exercise."

"Our local Boards of Canvassers are the frontline of conducting elections, and tabletop exercises like this provide excellent learning opportunities from real-world incidents," said Miguel J. Nuñez, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Board of Elections. "We want to thank the Rhode Island Secretary of State's office for this collaboration and the many partners who participated in the exercise for working together to help improve election readiness in our state."

The RI Department of State and the RI Board of Elections are committed to ensuring there are ample training opportunities for local and state election officials as the 2026 election season commences. To learn more about elections in Rhode Island, visit vote.ri.gov or elections.ri.gov.