Opposition to RI's Constitutional Convention grows ahead of Election Day

“A slim majority of Democrats (51 percent) and a majority of Independents (48 percent) plan to vote 'no' or have already voted for it, while Republicans are about evenly divided on the issue (39 percent 'yes,' 40 percent 'No'). ),” says the survey results.

Rhode Island last held a constitutional convention in 1986. The ballot question comes every decade, and voters rejected it in 1994, 2004 and narrowly in 2014, when 55.1 percent of voters chose to reject a convention while 44.9 percent voted to hold one.

Opponents – including the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island, which led the “no” coalition again this year – argued a convention could open the door to threats to civil rights, including abortion and reproductive rights.

However, others claim that these arguments are part of a disinformation campaign that, if successful, would once again prevent the state from implementing meaningful reforms.

In the race for U.S. Senate in Rhode Island, Democratic incumbent Sheldon Whitehouse was 54 percent ahead of Republican challenger Patricia Morgan, who received 40 percent of likely voters surveyed. Six percent remained undecided and about 1 percent said they would vote for another candidate or had already voted for them.

The latest UNH poll also showed that in Rhode Island, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris has a clear lead at 54 percent over Republican former President Donald Trump at 40 percent.

However, according to the poll, voters remain unsure about who will actually win the White House next Tuesday.

45 percent said they believe Harris will win the presidency, while 41 percent said Trump will win the presidency, and another 13 percent said they are not sure who will win.

Christopher Gavin can be reached at [email protected].