Faced with Republican efforts to remove state Rep. John Carnevale’s name from the fall ballot, the state Board of Elections on Monday called for the Providence Board of Canvassers to first resolve whether Carnevale can legally vote within his Providence district.
A lawyer for the state GOP, state John Pagliarini, said the party will decide by the close of business Tuesday whether to issue subpoenas or requests for documents, as part of a wider examination ordered by the Elections Board. (The deadline is so tight due to the need to prepare and distribute overseas military ballots.)
Pagliarini praised the action by the Board of Elections.
“I believe that they are trying to get to quick justice here,” he said. “How ever they ultimately decide, the problem is we’re up against a deadline for the military ballots, so we need to move quickly. This is probably the best we could have hoped for this evening.”
The question of whether Carnevale can vote in his district is crucial, since it’s a prerequisite for being able to run for office.
In brief remarks to reporters, Carnevale brushed off criticism from House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, who called the rep’s behavior “unacceptable,” and said he’s looking forward to being heard by the Canvassers during a meeting set for 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Carnevale maintains he lives at his home on Barbara Street in Providence, although there are questions about whether he has actually resided at a property outside his legislative district in Johnston.
