PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island's primary elections will now be held on Wednesday, Sept. 9, moving it back from the typical Tuesday election day because it fell too close to Labor Day.
Gov. Dan McKee, a Democrat, signed off on the change earlier this week. The primary election had been scheduled for Sept. 8, which is the day after the holiday weekend.
State and local officials had requested the change after raising concerns about having enough time to set up polls for voters. However, under the legislation enacted, the filing deadlines will remain the same.
“We have to set up over 400 polling places around the state on the day before the election,” Nick Lima, the registrar and director of elections for the city of Cranston, told lawmakers at a hearing in January. "That's very difficult to do on a holiday because many of our polls are schools, social halls and churches."
It's not unusual for states to change their election day. Lawmakers in neighboring Massachusetts changed the state's 2026 primary election day from Sept. 15 to Sept. 1, arguing that doing so will help improve voter turnout.
Only four states hold their primary elections in September: Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Delaware, which has the latest primary date in the U.S., taking place this year on Sept. 15.
Legislation seeking to move up Delaware's primary election by several months has been introduced in the statehouse, but previous attempts to do so have stalled.
FILE - Pedestrians walk past the Rhode Island Statehouse, March 1, 2020, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)
BERLIN (AP) — Victor Wembanyama will have a chance to play a home World Cup in 2031.
France was awarded the hosting rights to the 2031 men's tournament by basketball's governing body FIBA on Wednesday, with Japan getting the 2030 Women's World Cup.
“Japan and France are both elite organizers of global scale events, having hosted the two most recent summer Olympic Games, in 2020 and 2024 respectively,” FIBA said.
Wembanyama was one of the main attractions of the Paris Olympics as the San Antonio Spurs star led France to a silver medal, scoring 26 points in the final against the United States.
The French cities of Lyon, Lille and Paris will organize the Aug. 29-Sept. 14 men’s tournament, with the final phase to be played in the capital.
FIBA said the 2030 women’s tournament will be held Nov. 26–Dec. 8 in the Japanese capital of Tokyo.
Japan’s women also won silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
Japan hosted the 2006 men's world championship and was a co-host in 2023. France will organize the tournament for the first time.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the decision.
“A great source of pride for our country," Macron wrote on X. "Following the Paris Games, France confirms its ability to organize the greatest international sporting events.”
The next women’s World Cup will be held in September in Berlin while the 2027 men’s World Cup will be hosted by Qatar.
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Former professional basketball player Lauren Jackson draws the lot for Germany during the draw for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, Tuesday, April 21, 2026 in Berlin, Germany. (Sebastian Gollnow/dpa via AP)
The tournament groups are displayed on a screen during the draw for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, Tuesday, April 21, 2026 in Berlin, Germany. (Sebastian Gollnow/dpa via AP)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama, right, stand with head coach Mitch Johnson after receiving his NBA Defensive Player of the Year trophy before Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series in San Antonio, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
