Rhode Island ballot measure · November 3, 2026
Rhode Island Higher Education Facilities Bond, explained
$275 million for university and college buildings. A ballot measure is a yes-or-no question put directly to voters — no candidate is involved, and the wording on the ballot is the wording that becomes law. This page shows that wording first, then what it actually changes.
The official wordingWhat appears on the ballot. Everything below explains it.
"Shall the action of the general assembly, by an act passed at the January 2026 session, authorizing the issuance of bonds, refunding bonds, and temporary notes of the State of Rhode Island for the capital projects and in the amount with respect to each such project listed below be approved, and the issuance of bonds, refunding bonds, and/or temporary notes authorized in accordance with the provisions of said act?" (1) Higher Education Facilities — $275,000,000 Approval of this question will allow the State to issue general obligation bonds, refunding bonds, and/or temporary notes in an amount not to exceed two hundred and seventy-five million dollars ($275,000,000) for capital improvements to higher education facilities, to be allocated as follows: (a) University of Rhode Island Integrated Health Building — $165,000,000. Provides one hundred and sixty-five million dollars ($165,000,000) for the construction of the new Integrated Health Building on the University of Rhode Island's Kingston campus to advance health education, clinical training, and workforce development. (b) RIC Adams Library Renovations — $50,000,000. Provides fifty million dollars ($50,000,000) to fund the construction of a student success and career readiness center and renovations located at the Adams Library on the Rhode Island College campus. (c) CCRI Workforce Innovation Center — $60,000,000. Provides sixty million dollars ($60,000,000) to fund the construction of a new workforce innovation center located on the Warwick campus of the Community College of Rhode Island. Funds will be used for the construction of a modern career and technical educational facility designed to support workforce readiness and address critical workforce shortages in the State.
What it actually means
This is the largest of the five questions: $275 million borrowed to build at Rhode Island's three public higher education institutions. Most of it — $165 million — goes to a new Integrated Health Building at URI's Kingston campus. The rest funds a student success and career readiness centre at Rhode Island College's Adams Library and a workforce innovation centre at CCRI's Warwick campus. General obligation bonds are repaid from the state's general revenue, so a yes vote commits the state to principal and interest over the life of the bonds.
If you vote YES
- The state may issue up to $275 million in general obligation bonds, refunding bonds or temporary notes for these three projects.
- $165 million funds a new Integrated Health Building at the University of Rhode Island's Kingston campus, for health education, clinical training and workforce development.
- $60 million funds a new workforce innovation centre at the Community College of Rhode Island's Warwick campus, aimed at workforce shortages.
- $50 million funds a student success and career readiness centre and renovations at the Adams Library at Rhode Island College.
- The debt is repaid from state general revenue, adding to the $1.75 billion in general obligation bond debt Rhode Island carried as of fiscal 2025.
- Each of the five questions is decided separately; approving this one does not affect the others.
If you vote NO
- The bonds are not issued and none of the three buildings is funded from this source.
- URI, RIC and CCRI would have to seek the money in future budgets, from a later bond question, or from their own resources.
- No new debt service is added to the state budget for these projects.
- The other four bond questions are unaffected.
The numbers that matter
- Amount authorised
- Up to $275,000,000
- Allocation
- $165M URI Integrated Health Building; $60M CCRI Workforce Innovation Center; $50M RIC Adams Library
- Rhode Island general obligation bond debt
- $1.75 billion as of fiscal year 2025
- Rhode Island's record on bond questions
- 36 decided between 2008 and 2025, all approved; the last rejection was in 2006
Article 5 of House Bill 7127, the fiscal 2027 state budget
Article 5 of House Bill 7127
State debt figures compiled by Ballotpedia
Ballotpedia's list of Rhode Island ballot measures
What each side says0 for, 0 against — quoted, not summarised
Why supporters say YES
We found none published in the sources reviewed.
Why opponents say NO
We found none published in the sources reviewed.
What's genuinely uncertain
- No argument is shown here for either side. Gov. Dan McKee and the institutions support the bond; no campaign committee registered in support or opposition as of July 2026, and no organised case against it was published. Rather than print the case for with nothing against it, this page shows neither.
- The total cost with interest is not stated in the ballot language, and no official estimate of it was available to us. Rhode Island's voter information handbook usually publishes one closer to the election.
- The proposition sets the amounts and the purposes but not the construction timetable; completion dates depend on the institutions.
- The Secretary of State assigns the ballot numbers for these questions, and those had not been published when this was written.
The bottom line
Whether to borrow $275 million for three new or rebuilt facilities at URI, RIC and CCRI — the state's largest single capital commitment this year, repaid with interest from general revenue.
One neutral sentence describing the tradeoff — not a recommendation.
Sources (3)The numbers in the text above link here
- 1House Bill 7127, Article 5 — Relating to Capital Development Program, Rhode Island General Assembly — webserver.rilegislature.gov
- 2Rhode Island Higher Education Facilities Bond Measure (2026) — Ballotpedia — ballotpedia.org
- 3Rhode Island voters will weigh in on five bond issues in Nov. 2026 included in the state's budget — Ballotpedia News — news.ballotpedia.org
Checking it against the official text
The Rhode Island Department of State publishes the certified measures and, in most states, an official voter guide with fiscal notes. That is the authoritative version. Everything here is an explanation of it, not a substitute for it.
Confirm this with the official source
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Rhode Island Department of State.
Other measures on the Rhode Island ballot
- Housing and Homeownership Bond — $120 million for affordable housing
- Economic Development Bond — $100 million for industrial sites and growth industries
- Cultural Economy Bond — $50 million for a state history centre and preservation grants
- Green Economy Bond — $55 million for resilience, water quality and recreation