'The people in this room are the backbone of our democracy.' 67 complete state elections training.
Two weeks into his new job as Jamestown’s canvassing board clerk, Keith Ford spotted and flagged forged signatures on Sabina Matos’ candidate nomination papers in the 2023 1st Congressional District special election.
Ford’s eagle eyes set off a yearslong investigation into Matos’ campaign that led to criminal convictions for two campaign workers, though Matos was never charged or found to have played a role. It also highlighted the lack of consistency in how local election administrators review and verify signatures for candidates to qualify for the ballot.
“Just the way you look at each signature, and consider how it’s slanting or where the pen lifted up off the paper, it’s all very nuanced,” Ford said.
Bringing uniformity to the way the state’s 39 municipal canvassing boards and their staff perform their duties, including signature verification, is the goal behind a new professional development program organized by state elections agencies. The Election Training and Certification Program, a joint venture between the Board of Elections and Department of State, celebrated its inaugural graduating class, including Ford, in a ceremony Thursday.
https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/2026/06/22/the-people-in-this-room-are-the-backbone-of-our-democracy-67-complete-state-elections-training/