Fourteen months after his retirement as executive director of the state elections board, Robert Rapoza is back.
Gov. Dan McKee on Thursday unveiled Rapoza as his pick to serve on the Rhode Island Board of Elections’ board of directors. If confirmed by the Rhode Island Senate, Rapoza will fill the $5,100-a-year seat soon to be vacated by board member Diane Mederos, whose term expires June 1. Mederos did not want to be reappointed, Olivia DaRocha, a spokesperson for McKee’s office, said in an email Thursday.
Raposa retired as the elections board executive director on March 31, 2024, after a nearly three-decade career with the state elections agency in which he served multiple roles.
Miguel Nunez, the former deputy elections director, was picked by the board to replace Rapoza as executive director following a nationwide search.
“Bob’s experience and understanding of our state’s elections system makes him a strong candidate for this role,” McKee said in a statement. “Protecting the integrity of our elections is essential to our democracy, and I’m confident Bob’s extensive knowledge of election laws, policies and procedures will help further the Board’s work to build public trust in our electoral process.”
The Rhode Island Senate has not yet scheduled a vote on Rapoza’s nomination, Greg Pare said Thursday.
If approved, Rapoza will serve a nine-year term.
Rapoza began working for the Rhode Island Board of Elections in 1997 as its special projects coordinator, developing the plan to use optical scan voting equipment statewide. He served as executive director for the final six years of his tenure with the agency, running elections across the state’s 461 voting precincts alongside reviewing changes to state elections laws and working with local, state and federal agencies on election integrity.
“Knowing the inner workings of the election process will complement the existing board as together, we will continue the board’s mission for fair, accurate, and efficient elections,” Rapoza said in a statement.
He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of New Haven and was certified as an elections and registration administrator through Auburn University.
This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
