Republicans Join to Collect Signatures

The Barrington, Warren and Bristol Republican Town Committees are joining together on Saturday, Jan. 21, to collect signatures on the nomination papers for all Republican Presidential primary candidates in Rhode Island.  

The signature drive will be held at Perella’s Ristorante, 311 Metacom Ave., Warren. It starts at 6 pm.

"We want to make sure all the Republican candidates get on the primary ballot in Rhode Island," said Steve Primiano, chairman of the Barrington Republican Town Committee. "We're trying not be judgmental here."

The public is invited. All registered voters -- Republicans, Democrats or Independents -- from Barrington, Warren or Bristol can sign the nomination papers. Each candidate needs 1,000 signatures.

"Anyone can sign," he said. "Doesn't matter what affiliation. We have about two weeks to get the signatures."

The deadline for signatures is Feb. 2, he said. The RI Presidential primary is April 24.

Primiano said that the Republican party does not want what happened in Virginia to occur in Rhode Island. All but two of the Republican Presidential candidates failed to get on the ballot for the Virginia primary due to the state's restrictive ballot access laws. 

Rhode Island's laws are even more restrictive, he said. None of the candidates could get on the ballot because of changes in the RI law, passed in 2011 and taking effect in 2012.

Signatures must be collected now in two weeks, not the five weeks as in past years, Primiano said. And the signatures must be turned in to the city or town hall where the signers reside or they are disqualified. For instance, if you are a Barrington voter and sign a paper that is turned in to East Providence, your signature would be disqualified. 

This makes it impractical to gather signatures at shopping centers or at athletic events, where people come from numerous different communities, Primiano said.

The party is asking people to sign every nomination paper, so that all the candidates get on rather than the possibility of none of them getting on if each committee goes its separate ways.

There is no charge to attend. Light refreshments will be served. There will be a cash bar. 

"It should be a fun night," Primiano said. "There will be a lot going on. And you can get information about the Republican party and all the candidates."

The Young Republicans also will be conducting a Presidential straw poll on the South Carolina primary, he said. There will be a $1 per vote contribution to participate in the poll.

For more information, contact Primiano at 245-7956 or steve@primianos.com.