Focused Goals | TAMBA FOR SOS

Tamba for Secretary of State Detailed Focused Goals and Strategy

First, we will fight for all Rhode Islanders' right to vote freely and fairly

1. Make Voter Registration Initiative a Priority

Voting is a right and a privilege that comes with citizenship.
It is also a duty or responsibility.
Therefore, we will work to register every eligible Rhode Islander to vote, especially historically underserved populations including the elderly, people of color, minorities, women, and our young people in both the rural and urban areas.
Join forces with nonprofit organizations to host voter registration campaigns,
Advocate for Mobile Voter Registration Units (such as Voter Vans) to meet Rhode Islanders where they are and register them to vote.

2. Rhode Islanders Need Voter Vans

These Voter Vans will work with the State's library bookmobiles system to register voters where they are, update voter addresses, last names, and signatures.
Issue free Picture IDs to all eligible voters who are aged 18 and up.
The Voter Vans initiative will focus on Seniors living in care facilities as a priority and make sure Seniors have current photo IDs and updated signatures (which may have changed over time due to age and/or illness.

3. Ensure a Sustained Voter Education Campaign

Promote voter education by use of print materials/mailers, video, social media, etc.
Inform voters about upcoming elections, including when and where they will be held
Publish the positions that will be up for election and why they are essential.

4. Support Online Voter Guide Initiative

Create an online, interactive voter guide that includes information on which candidates are running in the voter's area
Link voters to candidates’ websites and social media accounts, so that the voter can stay up-to-date and informed.

5. Promote Voter Outreach Initiative

Encourage Americans to participate in our democracy.
Use Public Service Announcements - (TV, Radio, Print, and Social Media), and partner with Nonprofit and Community Organizations to promote voter outreach
Make sure to always keep Rhode Islanders informed about where, when, and how they can vote (in person or by mail).

6. Invest in a Secured Digital Photo ID System

Ensure that digital poll books are securely linked to the Rhode Island DMV database so that poll workers can access and verify a voter's driver's license photo when they check in at the polling station without fear of interference.
This procedure makes easy the check-in process more convenient for poll workers and voters (especially if they forget or misplace their IDs).

7. Make Voter Convenience a Priority

To make voting more convenient and accessible, keep local polling stations open.

If your city or town has a library, church, community center, post office, or fire station, it should also have a local polling station.

Regularly review polling locations, and collaborate with Election Commissioners, towns, and County Clerks to ensure that polling locations are within a reasonable distance of each other.
Residents of Rhode Island, particularly those in rural, urban, and minority communities, should all have accessible polling sites.

8. Prioritize Voters with Disabilities Needs

Ensure that polling locations comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
Provide additional assistance to Blind Voters (such as printed guides with photos of candidates), and designate at least one polling location with poll workers trained in ASL (American Sign Language) to assist deaf or hard-of-hearing voters.

9. Invest in Rhode Island Small Businesses

Assist Rhode Island small businesses and organizations with state and federal funding opportunities
Empower small business owners through financial literacy
Help small businesses to rehabilitate and to expand our local economy especially after suffering the grueling effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

10. Offer more user-friendly services

Make the Secretary of State's website more streamlined and intuitive so people can quickly locate what they're searching for.
Update the Financial Disclosure platform to make it easier to navigate and more efficient, so reports can be filed quickly.
Give the public more access to information – For example, make available candidates’ financial reports with detailed sources of funding and expenditures, so that information users can easily examine where campaign funds came from and how they are spent.
Make business services more accessible so you may get the help or documentation you need quickly and conveniently.

Secondly, Make Fair Elections a Priority

Amend or eliminate the state’s restriction on voter registration deadline that currently has a 30-day registration deadline before an election.

Create consistent procedures across the state's counties and provide support to county clerks and election commissions through collaboration and training so that every Rhode Islander's vote is treated equally.
Every Rhode Islander should have the same voting experience regardless of where they live.

Thirdly, Work to Restore the Voting Rights of Former Felons

Assist eligible Rhode Islanders, particularly former felons who have finished/served their terms, in regaining their voting rights.

Fourth, have a referendum on the emergency pandemic voting changes and legislation

Work with citizens to get citizen initiatives and referendums on the ballot
Educate Rhode Islanders on how to get citizen initiatives and referendums on the ballot so that the people of Rhode Island can vote on new laws and/or changes to current laws.
Laws enacted by citizens and approved by the people of Rhode Island must be preserved against the state legislature's interference.

Fifth, fight to make General Elections Day a Holiday in Rhode Island

Work to ensure that the Rhode Island General Assembly passes a bill into law proclaiming a Holiday, General Elections Day in Rhode Island.

You can email Anthony at: TambaforSOS@gmail.com with any suggestions you may have