A mock ballot distributed by Portsmouth Democrats stirred controversy after getting shared online by U.S. Senate candidate Patricia Morgan on Nov. 5, 2024. Portsmouth Democratic Party Chairman Leonard Katzman said it was just campaign literature and that the ballot is quarter the size of an official one. (Photo courtesy of Leonard Katzman)
Rhode Island Republican Rep. Patricia Morgan’s unsuccessful campaign for U.S. Senate on Tuesday claimed Democratic volunteers and candidates in Portsmouth allegedly distributed altered sample ballots, but the complaints don’t appear to have enough merit for state officials to look into.
Morgan, a West Warwick Republican, shared an image on X of a ballot showing Democratic names pre-selected with all other slots blank.
Voter Fraud Alert in Portsmouth, Rhode Island
My campaign has received disturbing reports of official ballots being used to mislead voters in Portsmouth. Current State Representative Michelle McGaw and the wife of former RI Senator Seveney have been stationed outside polling… pic.twitter.com/RR6n5WUbzX
— Patricia Morgan (@repmorgan) November 5, 2024
“Several Portsmouth voters have already reported confusion and frustration over this deceitful tactic, and we are taking immediate action,” said Morgan, adding she planned to file a complaint with the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s Office.
No written complaint was filed with the office, said spokesperson Faith Chybowski. Nor does the Rhode Island Board of Elections plan to take any action, said spokesperson Chris Hunter.
Portsmouth Democratic Party Chairman Leonard Katzman said the ballots were pieces of campaign literature meant to guide voters against splitting their ticket.
“These voter guides are regularly used by all sides; in fact, a local Portsmouth Republican candidate distributed a similar piece,” he said in a statement. “There is no way that these could be mistaken for actual ballots.”
The papers are roughly one-quarter the size of a standard ballot — which includes the names of candidates and ballot measures.
“Nonetheless, a Republican candidate running for Senate deceitfully said that this exercise of campaign free speech was ‘voter fraud.’” Katzman said. “Shame on her for sowing distrust in the minds of the voters.”
“The material in question is not an official ballot,” Hunter said in a text message. “Therefore, there is no ballot tampering or issue requiring further action from the Board of Elections.”
Anthony D’Ellena, a field organizer working for Morgan’s campaign, rejected the state’s assessment.
“This was not standard campaign material — this was a calculated attempt to undermine our elections,” D’Ellena said in a statement. “Our campaign stands firm against this shameless attempt to confuse and manipulate voters.”
The Associated Press called the U.S. Senate race for the Democratic incumbent, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, when polls closed at 8 p.m. As of midnight, Whitehouse had beat Morgan by nearly 20 percentage points, according to preliminary, unofficial results.
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