Rhode Island · November 3, 2026 general election · Statewide ballot measure
Question 5: what your vote means
Green economy bonds. On every Rhode Island ballot. Official sources checked October 21, 2026.
Question 5 · General obligation bond referendum
Green economy bonds
5. GREEN ECONOMY BONDS - $55,000,000 For environmental and recreational purposes, to be allocated as follows: a. Brownfields Remediation and Economic Development - $3,000,000 b. Facility Improvements - $12,000,000 c. Local Recreation Projects - $1,000,000 d. Marine Infrastructure Development - $1,000,000 e. Resilient Rhody Infrastructure Fund - $25,000,000 f. Narragansett Bay Watershed Restoration - $7,000,000 g. Agricultural Land Preservation Commission - $3,000,000 h. Open Space Program - $3,000,000
Ballot question as shown in the 2026 Rhode Island Voter Information Handbook, Secretary of State.
A YES vote means:
You support the State issuing $55,000,000 in general obligation bonds for environmental and recreational purposes.
A NO vote means:
You are against the State issuing $55,000,000 in general obligation bonds for environmental and recreational purposes, and these projects would not be funded through this borrowing.
What it would change
- Projects: Resilient Rhody Infrastructure Fund ($25 million), state park, beach, and campground facilities ($12 million), Narragansett Bay watershed restoration ($7 million), and smaller amounts for brownfields, farmland, open space, local recreation, and marine infrastructure.
- Timeline: most projects completed within five years of starting.
- Repayment: the State pays back the amount borrowed, with interest, over time.
- Fiscal impact: The Voter Information Handbook estimates a total cost of $88,267,500: $55,000,000 in principal plus $33,267,500 in interest, assuming 20-year bonds at 5% interest with level payments (including issuance costs of 0.4% of principal).
Who supports it and who opposes it
These lists come from official campaign filings (registered committees) and public endorsements, each linked to its source. They are not complete, and SaveYourState does not endorse anyone listed.
Who supports it
Not yet compiled
Who opposes it
Not yet compiled
Official sources
- 2026 Voter Information Handbook, Question 5 (PDF, p. 14)
- Estimated total cost of Question 5, 2026 Voter Information Handbook (PDF, p. 14)
- Full text: Article 5, Chapter 084, Public Laws of 2026 (capital development program)
SaveYourState is independent and nonpartisan, not a government site, and does not take positions on ballot measures. This explainer describes effects only, using the official ballot title, explanatory statement, full text, and fiscal impact statement. If anything here differs from those documents, the official documents control.