Robert Kando, the executive director of the state’s Board of Elections, is out. In a four-to-two vote the group chose to terminate the embattled head.Kando has a bumpy track record at the state Board of Elections. In 2013, he unveiled legislation on behalf of the board without informing board members.
More recently, Kando has been repeatedly suspended as the board’s executive director. One of the suspensions came after Kando did not take management classes ordered as part of an earlier suspension.
John Marion, of the good government watchdog group Common Cause Rhode Island approved of the Board’s decision.
“His tenure has been controversial for over a decade, over the last couple of years there’s been real open conflict with members of the board that he reports to,” said Marion. “So something needed to be done about this.”
However, Marion added Kando’s dismissal comes at an inopportune time.
“The timing is unfortunate, we’re two week away from our next election, and it’s an election where we’re implementing a lot of changes to how we vote; new machines and other changes,” said Marion. “Although we’ve long felt that something needed to be done with this issue.”
Current board of elections employee Robert Rapoza will serve as interim executive director. Rhode Island’s primary elections are September 13th. Kando served as the board’s head since 2005.
