Pinga/Alves: Latest from the Board of Elections

At around 10:10 this morning, I spoke with Mr. Robert Kando, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Board of Elections. He advised the following:

> No recount of the Pinga/Alves election is scheduled or contemplated at this point.

> The BOE met in conference with a Rhode Island Supreme Court Justice and certain other parties. [Sorry, I didn't get the date of that conference.]

> At that meeting, the matter of the mail-in and provisional ballots and, more specifically, the "Larissa" decision of two years ago, which has a bearing upon mail-in and provisional ballots, were raised. [No link to provide to the Larissa decision. Larisa Decision here - thanks to commenter Brassband for providing.]

> As a result of this conference, the BOE will be meeting in closed Executive Session tomorrow to determine if they will reconsider their decision in the Pinga/Alves matter in the light of the Larissa decision. To be clear, during this Executive Session tomorrow, they are not undertaking to reconsider their decision. They will decide whether to reconsider it.

> Yes, this matter is still pending before the Supreme Court.

End of Mr. Kando's remarks.

Two editorial guesses by yours truly:

1.) Presumably, if the BOE does decide to reconsider their decision, it will be taken up at a future meeting or hearing to be scheduled, not during the same Executive Session tomorrow.

2.) It sounds like the Supreme Court is holding itself in abeyance until the BOE makes their decision tomorrow. Going further out on a limb, they will probably continue to hold themselves in abeyance if the BOE decides to revisit their own decision tomorrow and the matter is reopened at the BOE.