Rhode Island voters will weigh in on five bond issues in Nov. 2026 included in the state's budget

Rhode Island voters will decide on five bond issues in the November 2026 election. The five bond measures would approve a total of $600 million in general obligation bonds. The bond issues would fund housing development, higher education facilities, economic infrastructure development, environmental protection, and historical preservation.

A general obligation bond is a debt backed by the Rhode Island government. The government is obligated to pay the principal and interest on the bonds to those who purchase the bonds. The bond is backed by the ability of the government to repay the bonds, including their authority to raise revenue through taxation.

In Rhode Island, the state legislature can place bond measures on the ballot with a simple majority vote in both the state House and the state Senate. To be certified for the ballot, the governor must sign the bill.

Between 2000 and 2025, 58 bond measures have been on the ballot in Rhode Island. Of those measures, 52 were approved and six were defeated. Bond measures have been on the ballot in Rhode Island in every even-numbered year since 2000, except for 2020. Due to a delay in the approval of the 2021 budget, bond measures included in the budget bill were placed on the 2021 ballot instead. On average, in years when Rhode Island voters decided on bond measures, more than four were on the ballot.



https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/06/16/rhode-island-voters-will-weigh-in-on-five-bond-issues-in-nov-2026-included-in-the-states-budget/